


Home Is Where The Heart Is

by Jaina



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Angst, F/F, F/M, Family Drama, Family Feels, Femslash, Memory Loss, Romance, Swan-Mills Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-17
Updated: 2015-09-17
Packaged: 2018-04-18 00:44:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 57,406
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4685807
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jaina/pseuds/Jaina
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Emma Swan is no one’s fool. She’s certainly not going to drink the strange liquid that the creepy Ren Faire Reject that’s been stalking she and her son is offering her in the middle of the street - even if they are in front of a police station. So what’s a girl to do? Nothing but go home and get engaged to the great guy in her life. And everything is pretty amazing until her son disappears without a trace. Then she has to go track him down in some tiny town in Maine populated by the strangest people she’s ever met and a woman her son has unexpectedly bonded with.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Home Is Where the Heart Is Fanart](https://archiveofourown.org/works/4679027) by [cashmerecandycane](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cashmerecandycane/pseuds/cashmerecandycane). 



> To tag for secondary ships or not to tag for secondary ships? I tend to do it so that folks who are reading my femslash fics are aware of adjacent het ships, but someone mentioned it was rude to the folks looking for those barely mentioned pairings. So here's the warning, this fic also contains mentions of Captain Swan and Wizard Swan? Whatever the ship name is for Walsh/Emma.
> 
>  
> 
> And many, many thanks to Oparu for the beta. It's greatly appreciated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dialogue is taken from 3x12 New York Serenade

Emma Swan paced on the sidewalk in front of the police station. She had already been inside and spoken to them about releasing the asshole who had been stalking her. The sergeant she had spoken to had been skeptical.

 

Finally he'd given a one shouldered-shrug and muttered, "Your decision, lady." Emma could see any esteem he might have previously held her in falling. It was fortunate that she didn't care about his opinion. She knew just how stupid this decision was. It was never smart to release one’s stalker. It only encouraged them, and she wasn't discounting that. But there were those photos. The ones that had been left undeveloped in the camera she had found in Neal’s apartment - the camera who’s strap had Henry’s name on it, and pictures inside it that showed she and Henry in a town they had never been to.

 

Hook looked exuberant, but not relieved as he stepped into his freedom. Relieved, not to be freed, but that someone had recognized his innocence. 

 

“Hey!” Emma called out to catch his attention. Better not to let him get a word in edgewise. She was the one in charge of this conversation. He was only here because she wanted information from him and Emma wasn’t going to let him get her off subject. All she needed was an explanation for the pictures and reassurance that she and Henry were safe. Then she never had to see him again. He had really pissed her off when he had come into her apartment and tried to kiss her, talking about making her do things. He seemed like just the kind of sleazy guy who might work for Neal. It was the only explanation she could think of for him to send her to an apartment that had once been Neal’s. Somehow Neal had found out about Henry and thought he could worm his way back into their life through this guy. Not gonna happen. “We need to talk.”

 

“Swan!” Hook called as he descended the stairs, relief plain on his face as he made his way over to her. “I knew you wouldn't let me rot in that cage. I've been in my fair share of briggs...but none as barbaric as that. They force fed me something called bologna.”

 

Emma ignored his whining. She had been in prison before. She knew how shit the food was. A reminder wasn’t why she had come here. “What the hell are these?” Emma demanded, thrusting the pictures from Henry’s camera at him. “We never lived in a town called Storybrooke. We never took a flight from Boston to New York. We never did any of this!"

 

“So you believe me then?” Hook asked, serious and intense once again. He really believed these lies he was spewing. They seemed to be very important to him.

 

“I don’t know,” Emma said, playing along for a minute. She needed him to keep talking, not shut down on her. “You could have photoshopped these pictures.” She wanted him to deny it so she would know he was lying to her. Of course, even if he wasn’t lying, it didn’t mean that Neal - or someone else - hadn't done it. She wasn’t married to the Neal theory. It was strange though - a hell of a coincidence for it not to be related to why this Hook guy kept following her around.

 

“Photoshopped?” Hook said, shaking his head in confusion - or at least feigned confusion. What kind of idiot was this guy that he thought he could pull off not knowing what photoshopped was in this day and age? Emma didn’t have grandparents, but if she had, she would bet even they knew what photoshopped meant. Gossip magazines in grocery stores and gas stations had made the term ubiquitous.

 

“Faked,” Emma said with a little shake of her head, her irritation growing.

 

“If you think these are forgeries, then why did you spring me from the brigg?” Hook asked, gesturing back toward the jail.

 

Not a question Emma wanted to answer. She needed to give him a little more rope to let him hang himself. Metaphorically speaking. She looked down at the pictures again, her brain racing as she contemplated her next step, what she needed to say to get him to admit what he had done.

 

Hook took it for confirmation that she was beginning to believe him, that she had doubts about her certainty that she and Henry had never been to some town called Storybrooke, and continued. “Because as much as you deny it, deep down you know something's wrong. Deep down, you know I'm right.” He sounded so sincere.

 

If Emma were a lonely, desperate woman, she might want to believe him, need to believe that once she’d had something more in her life. Her teenage self would have eaten up this guy and his assurances, his fairy tale day dreams of some perfect life she’d had somewhere else up so fast it wasn’t even funny. But Emma wasn’t that lonely girl with no family anymore. She had a son, a home and a family. More than that, she was a smart, logical woman and none of this made sense. “It’s not possible,” Emma pointed out. “How could I forget all this?”

 

“I promise you there’s an explanation,” Hook said, but he had never given her one that was even remotely plausible.

 

“Not one that makes sense,” Emma countered. Maybe if she just kept pushing, doubting he would finally break and show his true agenda.

 

“If you drink this it will,” Hook said, fishing that same vial of blue liquid out of his pocket that he’d had with him at the park.

 

There was no way in hell Emma was drinking that. Even - _especially_ \- teenage Emma Swan had known better than to drink some unlabeled liquid in an already opened container that she hadn’t watched the person retrieve. “What is that?” Emma asked, still sounding calm and reasonable. “Drugs? Something to make me nice and calm and compliant?” She felt her hands shaking, not from fear but rage. “I’ve known guys like you - scumbags who have to drug a woman to get her to spend time with them.” She choked back the urge to push him, shove him away from her. Suddenly she wanted a shower. Even though he hadn’t touched her, she wanted nothing more than to get any traces of this guy off her. She was done here. “Stay away from me and my kid,” Emma said, taking a step back. “If you come near us again, you’ll be lucky if there’s enough of you left for the cops to take into custody.” She took several wary steps back until she was out of arm’s reach and then, with one last glare, turned her back on him and walked away.

 

“You haven’t seen the last of me, Swan!” Hook called after her. “I won’t give up! I’ll save you. I give you my word!”

  
Emma ignored him and kept walking. He was a sad, delusional man and she was tired of humoring him. If he came after she and Henry now, she would make certain it never happened again, but she didn’t think he was the type for direct confrontation. Not with the way he had tried to drug her in broad daylight in front of a police station. No, Emma just wanted to forget about weirdos with empty promises and a non-existent family who needed her. She needed to get back to her real family - Henry - and their very real life.


	2. Chapter One

The streets were dark and still wet from some earlier rainfall. The yellow-orange light of the street lamps threw jagged reflections and even longer shadows. There were no cars on the road and the streets were deserted - but that wasn't unusual for Storybrooke on any given night after nine o'clock. Still, Henry kept to the shadows, glancing over his shoulder more than once or twice, as he hurried on. There was a dark ominous feeling hanging over the whole town and until he knew why he would be careful. It was what his mom would have told him to do.

 

Henry shrugged his backpack further up on his shoulders and scurried on faster, trying not to think about his mom - either of them. Emma was going to kill him - really kill him - and his other mom, his mama, he couldn't even let himself think about her. He didn't know if she was really here. The town was back, but... Well Henry was pretty certain he was the thing she loved most. How could she bring the town back then? His chest tightened. He swallowed hard and ducked his head as he turned into the alley that would take him behind Granny's. There was always the possibility that his mom had found someone else to love.

 

A hair raising shriek, somewhere between nails on a chalk board and the hunting cry of a bird of prey, rent the air out of nowhere. Henry tried to throw himself against the back wall of Granny's but tripped and fell. Gravel bit into his hands and his knee throbbed painfully but Henry didn't move for several long moments. His heart hammered in his chest and when it was clear nothing else was going to happen, he let his head drop to rest against the damp earth while he caught his breath. It took him a moment but when he had his breathing under control again he pushed himself up to his knees and dusted his hands off.

 

There was a tear in his jeans at one knee and when he pulled the material back he could see the bloody gash beneath. It was small, not nearly as bad as he'd gotten the first time he'd tried to ride a bike. He'd been begging his mom for weeks and weeks to teach him but she had kept refusing, insisting that he was too small and it was too dangerous for him. He had listened and listened until he couldn't anymore, goaded on by the taunts of his classmates and his own desire to feel the wind in his face, the way people seemed to almost float along on them until they could touch anything. (Okay, so maybe he'd had a brief obsession with E.T. after the first time he'd seen it, making his mom play it for him over and over again until the VHS had worn out.)

 

Then, one day at the park he couldn't stand it any longer. He had snatched up a temporarily abandoned bike and climbed aboard it. It had been to big for him after all and he'd wobbled back and forth from one leg to another after he pushed off, barely catching himself in time to keep it upright. He was so focused on not falling over, on proving his mom wrong that he hadn't been paying attention to what was in front of him. The instant he'd gone over the top of the hill, the bike had picked up speed. He had jerked his feet up as grass and bushes yanked at them and for one shining instant everything was perfect. It really had felt like flying and Henry was grinning bigger than he had ever grinned in his life. Then the front wheel wobbled, yanked away from the death grip he had on it, and the bicycle caught the edge of a park bench. Henry had gone flying but not before he had managed to catch his side on the back of the bench. He hit the ground hard and lay there stunned.

 

"HENRY!" His mother's cry had made his blood run cold. He had never heard anything like it from her before. It startled him so much he hadn't known what to do, laying there until she had called for him again. "Henry." That time her cry had been a broken cry that had jerked him upright.

 

"Mom." It came out weaker than he had intended and his voice had broken mid-word. His knee hadn't hurt until he moved it. "Ah," he gasped clutching at it. Sticky red blood seeped out from beneath his fingers and Henry felt a little wild as his mom finally caught up with him and dropped down beside him.

 

"Henry," Regina had said, her voice no nonsense. "Let me see it."

 

"Mom-" He wanted to plead his case to explain why he needed to do it - why he needed to do it again - but the look on her face stopped him without another word and he yanked his hands back.

 

She had taken one look and given a quick shake of her head, the line of her lips growing even thinner. "Come on." She had stood, ignoring the blood on her hands and the mud on her skirt and bent to scoop him up. As small as he had been, it had still been some time since his mom had picked him up and carried him anywhere. Henry had been embarrassed and squirmed in her arms the whole time. Regina hadn't admonished him for it or even mentioned him as she carried him to the hospital, having walked to the park from home a few hours earlier. She hadn't even let him go when Sheriff Graham had approached them and offered to take him. In the end, the gash on his leg had needed five stitches and he had never ridden a bike again: in Storybrooke. In the city, he had been a twelve year old boy that was strangely terrible at riding bikes. Emma had teased him about it mercilessly.

 

He had gotten better though. He would have to tell his mom, if she was here. If he could find her before whatever that was... He started off again, moving at a quicker pace, sticking even more closely to the shadows this time. No one knew he was here and if he was grabbed, well, no one would be coming for him either. Henry didn't walk down Mifflin street. As the Mayor, his mom had been in charge of Storybrooke's maintenance and infrastructure and she had made certain that the street that led to the Mayor's mansion was so well lit it was almost like walking in daylight. Instead, Henry cut through backyards, ducking clotheslines and hopping over fences until he reached his destination.

 

In this world, at this time, there was no key in his pocket that would let him in. He contemplated briefly knocking on the back door but at this time of night there was no way his mom would hear him if she was in her bedroom on the second story or even if she was in her study. There was nothing for it but to go to the front door and ring the bell.

 

At the edge of the shadows, Henry took a deep breath and ran for it, pounding up the steps the way his mom had always told him not to, calling after him that he would break his neck one day.  Knocking on the door hard enough to make his knuckles sting and punching the doorbell repeatedly, he kept throwing anxious looks back out at the street, knowing that any second the beast he had heard would show up to check out all the noise he was making. "C'mon, c'mon," Henry mumbled under his breath. She had to be here. She just had to.

 

"Go away!" The sudden sharp command made Henry jump and grin. He pounded harder in response. She was here. His mom was really here.

 

The door swung open without the warning sound of any locks being undone and Henry stumbled forward, almost falling on his knees again. He caught himself on the door jamb just in time.

 

"What do you..." His mom's sharp voice trailed off as he raised his head, as she had a chance to see him. "Henry?" Her voice cracked over his name.

 

Henry took an involuntary step back as he straightened. He had never seen his mom like this before. Her hair was disheveled and sticking up on one side in the back. Her blouse was coming out of the waist of her skirt and mascara was smeared across one cheek beneath her eye. Eyes that he was looking almost directly into as she stood barefooted in front of him. "Mom?" He couldn't help the worry and confusion that flooded through him. Had something happened to her? What was wrong?

 

"No," she said sharply, casting her hand out at him in a warding gesture. She stumbled, unsteady on her feet, as it was her turn to take a step back. "You're not him. You're not real. You can't be him."

 

Henry reached out on instinct to steady her. Regina yanked her hand back before he could touch her, almost losing her balance again. "Sorry," Henry said, holding his hands up in a gesture of surrender. "Mom-"

 

Regina didn't cut him off but took a step forward and reached out to touch his cheek. Two fingers brushed the side of his cheek and Henry fought the urge to lean into her touch. His mom looked as if one motion on his part would startle her and send her stumbling away again. Her thumb stroked over his cheek and her eyes fell closed. She stood that way in silence for a long moment before she drew herself up.

 

"If you're not really my son, you should run. I will flay the skin from your body slowly," she breathed the words out like a caress. "I will break every bone in your body and then pull them out one at a time. And then, before you have a chance to die, I will crush your heart in your chest. Run!"

 

Henry jerked at the sharp command of her voice, a leaden sensation at the bottom of his stomach at the all too valid threat in her words, and took a step forward. He wrapped his arms around her waist and laid his head on her shoulder. "It's me, Mom."

 

"Henry?" Her voice was the faintest breath of hope, too fragile to be spoken any louder.

 

"Yeah."

 

Her arms wrapped around him in return, clutching him to her so tightly that he could barely breathe as she held him close and showed no signs of letting him go any time soon.

 

 


	3. Chapter Two

A shrieking howl rent the air. Henry jerked and stumbled against his mom. That sound was terrifying enough that even wrapped in the safety of her arms, his instinctive reaction was to flee. Regina steadied him and moved around him in one smooth motion, putting herself between him and the door before she pushed it shut. Her fingers trailed down his arm with a backwards glance at him as if to make certain he was still there as she stepped toward the door and locked it, top and bottom.

 

“It’s okay,” she said, turning back to him. “There are wards around the house. Nothing can get it.” Regina said it tentatively, as if she were worried about his response. It was probably the magic thing. They hadn’t really had time to talk about it after Neverland and before...before...Henry wasn’t ready to think about before yet. This was now and he was so glad to see his Mom.

 

He shot her a teasing grin, looking up from beneath hair that was getting a little too long and floppy. Mom would have had it cut already. Emma… well, it was okay. He liked it like this for a little while. “I did.”

 

“You,” his mother said with a tentative smile and a brush of her fingers beneath his chin. “Can move through any ward I set.”

 

There was something else she didn’t seem to be saying and Henry considered it for a second. He’d heard of blood magic, but… “Because I’m your son.”

 

Regina nodded, once, firmly and decisively. “Precisely.” She shook her head, sniffing but not blinking, and wrapped her arms around herself. “Henry, how are you here? Where’s Emma? How did you find us again? I know my magic worked when I sent you away. Didn’t it?”

 

“Not happy to see me?” Henry asked, the tiniest tug of old insecurities rearing their head at her questions.

 

“Henry,” Regina breathed holding her arms out to him again. He stepped into her embrace without hesitation. “Of course I’m happy to see you, my darling boy. I never thought I would see again.” Her voice hitched with ragged pain, still raw and fresh. One hand came up to cup the back of his neck and hold him closer. The scent of hair was so familiar and long absent that his heart ached.

 

“Mom,” he sniffed and then ducked his head to rub his nose on his shoulder. “I missed you.”

 

“You couldn’t remember me,” she said softly as if trying to break it to them both gently.

 

“I know,” Henry said. “But there was a part of me. I knew something was missing.” He shrugged. “I just thought it was my dad, but when I thought about it that never felt right. Emma was always-” he stopped and bit off that thought. “Well, I guess, I thought I used to think…” He furrowed his brows. “It’s confusing having a whole other set of memories.”

 

“You still remember them?” Regina asked with surprise.

 

“Yeah, all of them,” Henry responded. “Shouldn’t I?”

 

“Well, it means the curse that was on this town hasn’t been broken.” Regina said, the distracted tone of her voice indicating she was working through this even as she spoke. It made Henry feel grown up that she would talk to him this way. Before she would have tried to protect him. It had always ended up hurting him worse than telling him the truth. She focused on him again, her dark eyes intense. “How did you get back here? Outsiders shouldn’t be able to come back in. There haven’t been any since we came back.”

 

“Did you curse the town again to bring it here?” Henry couldn’t stop the question spilling out of him. He’d been dying to know the answer since...well, since New York City when his memories had returned. “But,” he said, backing away a little. “You couldn’t have, right? Because...because I was here.” The thing you love most. It felt too embarrassing to say that, a little scary. What if that wasn’t the reason.

 

“That’s right,” his mom agreed and Henry could breathe again. “We don’t know how we got here. No one remembers.” She sighed. “But I would imagine it has something to do with the master of that hell beast out there.”

 

“What is it?” Henry said. He didn’t doubt his mother’s magic, but he couldn’t help but glance over his shoulder at the door to make sure it was still standing between them and whatever was out there.

 

“I’m not certain. I haven’t heard anything like it before and no one’s seen it. No one,” she amended, “that has come back to report of it. There are people missing.”  

 

“Oh,” Henry said, feeling the excitement that had been welling up in him at the thought of a new adventure drain away. “Are Grandma and Grandpa-”

 

“Fine,” Regina said before he could even finish speaking. “I made certain of it myself.” She looked down, not meeting his gaze. “There are wards on most of the buildings in town now.”

 

“Awesome,” Henry said, not having to feign his grin that time. “That’s great, Mom.”

 

“Yes, well.” She cleared her throat and he caught a glimpse of the pink that tinged her cheeks. “I cannot believe Emma would have let you out of her sight? Where is she?”

 

Henry grimaced and then tried to give her his best, bright smile. Maybe because it had been so long since she had seen him… “In the city?”

 

Regina’s eyes narrowed. “Which city?”

 

“New York City?”

 

“Henry Daniel Mills,” Regina drawled out as she took a step forward. “Does Emma know you’re here?”

 

“No,” he said with a grimace that made it sound more like a question. He continued in a rush of words, like water tumbling over a damn. “But, Mom, she doesn’t remember. Hook kissed her but it didn’t work. She didn’t remember anything. She kicked him out of the apartment.” Henry grinned. “She kicked him and told him to get out and stop harassing her. I don't know what happened after that. I was spending the night over at Avery's - his mom took us out for pizza - and then in the middle of eating I just remembered. All of it. Maybe Hook slipped something in my drink?" It wasn’t the craziest idea. He hadn’t thought about it at the time, but someone had walked past the table, jostling it when they bumped into it just before Henry had started to remember. He had been in the middle of an in depth discussion with Avery about how to level up in the game they were playing together and he hadn’t looked up. But maybe he’d caught a glimpse of a leather coat out of the corner of his eye? Hook never took his off.

 

Then when his memories had come crashing over him, it had been too overwhelming to notice. He'd rushed into the bathroom and thrown up an astounding amount of barely chewed up pizza and soda. It was so gross. Avery's mom had sent Avery in there to check on him. Henry had waved him off with as much manly stoicism as he could muster, still stunned and more than a little embarrassed. When he’d managed to shove down his embarrassment and come out of the bathroom, he had told Avery's mom he wanted to go home. Avery had shot him a disdainful and disappointed glance, but his mom had ruffled Henry's hair and given him a warm and knowing smile before telling him that of course she would take him home.

 

Avery and his mom had walked him up to his door and waited until he let himself in. The apartment had been quiet and the lights muted. Henry had wrinkled his nose at the thought of why that might be and called out, "Em-" He caught the now unfamiliar name on his lips, almost too late and changed it mid-word. "Mom?"

 

"Henry?" Emma's voice had come back a second later, muffled but there. Her head shot up from where the back of the couch concealed her from view. One side of her sweater was hanging off her shoulder. "Kid? Are you okay? I thought you were spending the night at Avery's?"

 

"Yeah," Henry said quickly, surveying Emma with far more attention to detail than he usually did. Had it just been him or had she remembered too? "Yeah," Henry repeated, with more strength and certainty this time. "I just came by to pick up something I forgot." He waved at the man who had sat up next to Emma on the couch. "Hi, Walsh."

 

"Henry," the man gave a friendly wave, his good cheer plain from the sparkle in his eyes. He didn't even seem perturbed by the interruption. "Having a fun night?"

 

Henry swallowed hard, knowing that Emma had accepted Walsh's proposal. She wouldn't have done that if she remembered. She would have come and found him, brought him home immediately. But there was nothing. Emma didn't remember at all. It had been up to him. "Yeah, Avery's mom took us out for pizza." He patted his backpack, hanging off his shoulder and down at his side. "I'm just gonna go-" He pointed in the direction of his bedroom and fled. Henry's brain was racing, but he did his best to think as he shut the door behind him. Quickly he threw clothes into his backpack, more than the pair that had been there for his overnight trip, and grabbed up a few more necessities. The last thing he grabbed was the credit card Emma had given him for emergencies. It was only in the last six months that she had started letting him stay at the apartment alone if she was going to be a little bit late coming home from work, and she'd given it to him if he needed to grab the occasional pizza or something. Now he needed for something much more important. She'd be pissed until she remembered. He'd have to deal with that when the time came. He had slipped it into his back pocket when the door opened and Henry whirled to face it.

 

"Mom." He hoped he didn't sound as guilty as he felt.

 

"Henry," Emma stepped inside the room and shut the door behind her, folding her arms over her chest as she leaned back against it. Henry's heart pounded. Did she know something was wrong? Had he triggered her superpower somehow? "I told him yes. You knew I was going to, but I know it's a lot, kid. It's just been you and me for so many years. It's weird." She shrugged helplessly. "Are you sure you're okay?"

 

Relief drained through him so powerfully, Henry felt weak in his knees. "Absolutely, Mom," he said, stepping forward and wrapping his arms around her waist. "I'm really happy for you." He tried not to think about how badly this was going to ruin things when she found out about Storybrooke. He needed to convince her everything was fine so he could go. "I really did need to get some stuff. I was hoping Walsh hadn't gotten here yet. I was gonna try to get in and out quick."

 

Emma laughed. He felt it vibrate against his rib cage. "Walsh came over early. He couldn't wait."

 

"Poor guy," Henry muttered.

 

Emma snickered. "None of that, kid." But she didn't let go of him. Henry reveled in the feel of his arms, safe and secure around him. His skin was almost tingling with the need to get back to Storybrooke, but there had always been apart of him that wondered what life with Emma would have been like. He couldn't say he didn't miss his old life with an ache that was already tearing at his heart, but he was glad he knew now.

 

"I should go," Henry said with reluctance. "Avery and his mom are waiting for me downstairs."

 

"Okay, Kid," Emma said, letting him go with one last squeeze. She watched as he grabbed his jacket and headed for the door. Henry tossed Walsh one last wave, but hesitated as he opened the door. He knew he couldn't falter now or Emma would realize something was wrong and that was the last thing he needed, but... He glanced back at her and smiled. "Love you, Mom." He tried to toss off the words as casually as he could so he wouldn't make her suspicious, but he wasn't sure he had succeeded until the door had closed behind him and there was no sound of his footsteps following him.

 

Henry had forced himself to walk until he was out of the building and around the corner. Then he had broken into a run, only stopping to get cash from an ATM. Finding people was what Emma did, but now he didn't want to be found and the first thing she would do would be to look at his credit card history. It was what she had done before after all.

 

"After that," Henry explained to his mom. "I took the first bus towards Maine that I could get on and then found one that took me to the nearest town to Storybrooke." He shrugged, knowing she wasn't going to like his answer. "I walked after that."

 

Regina's brow furrowed. "Henry, that was incredibly irresponsible, not to mention dangerous. You should have called me. I would have come and picked you up."

 

Despite the chastisement, Henry felt lighter than he had in hours, in the almost thirty-six hours that it had taken him to get to Storybrooke via bus. "I didn't know if you'd remember," Henry admitted, voice choked with emotion. He tried to grin, but his throat felt tight and strained. "But next time I'll call first."

 

Regina seemed to appreciate the ridiculousness of the situation as well as he did. "Very well," her lips pursed but twisted upwards in a smile. "Next time." She pulled him close again and held him tightly in her arms.

 

"Mom," Henry said after a long moment. "Do you think I could go up to my room and sleep for a while? I'm so tired." There was a part of him, now that he was back in Storybrooke, now that he had seen his mom, that wanted to know everything, but that part was muted by the exhaustion that seemed to have seeped into his very bones and left his legs feeling leaden. All he wanted to do was sleep until his mom had made it all okay again.

 

"Of course, Henry," his mom said. He did his best to ignore the emotion in her voice too. She kissed his forehead. "Your room is just the way you left it."

 

Henry laughed, grateful for the distraction. "Unmade bed and all?"

 

His mom froze against him. "Yes, Henry." The weight of those words tugged at his heart. She really hadn't changed anything. She had left it exactly as he had. It made him happier than he could have imagined.

 

A loud, pounding knock at the front door startled them both. It kept going, not letting up. Regina frowned and stepped away from him easing him out of the immediate line of sight from the door. "Wait here," Regina said and strode forward. Her back straightened and Henry could almost see invisible armor slipping back on. He wondered if the people of the town had been harassing her since they had been back, if they blamed her. Regina paused from a moment in front of the door, took a deep breath and then swung it open. "Yes?"

 

Even in the dim light, Henry could see the faintest outline of a red leather covered arm. "Where the hell is my son?"

 

 


	4. Chapter Three

Since Regina had woken up in her bed in Storybrooke, reveling for an instant in the soft mattress and sheets that slid against her skin like a caress, she hadn't given a moment's thought to Emma Swan. Relief had come first, flooding through her body at being back in the place she considered home far more than the Enchanted Forest, followed immediately by thoughts of Henry. She had flown out of bed, bare feet slapping against the hardwood of the hallway, and thrown open the door to Henry's room, praying to who she didn't know and didn't particularly care, that her son would be in his bed. That sending him away into the real world and the rest of the town into the Enchanted Forest had been a nightmare, and not reality. The pain had hit her like a blow to her core, knocking the air out of her and driving her to her knees. She had fallen beside his bed and grabbed desperately for his pillow. But no matter how deeply she had breathed it in, no scent of him had remained.

 

She had stayed there, clutching, hoping, until she had heard footsteps on the stairs. Even that hadn't been enough to rouse her.

 

"Regina?" Of course, it had been Snow calling out to her, full of worry, her voice high and strident.

 

"What do you want?" Regina demanded over her shoulder as she brushed against the pillow one last time, wiping away tears, before setting the pillow on Henry's bed and pushing herself to her feet. Her legs were stiff and pain shot through them; Regina ignored it.

 

"You're here!" Snow said, throwing her arms around Regina as she came into the room. She didn't let Regina go, but stepped back to arm's' length. "David and I were worried when you didn't show up with everyone else."

 

Regina scoffed. "Just because the rabble gathered, dear..."

 

Snow shot her a knowing look and repeated. "We were worried." Her cheerful demeanor fell away to be replaced with a frown. "Do you remember anything?" She swallowed and glanced down at her stomach. "I...don't. No one I've talked to has."

 

It took a moment for Regina to process the bump that now preceded Snow wherever she went. The lump in Regina's throat grew and the ache in her chest intensified. She pressed her fingers to the bridge of her nose. "Congratulations." She couldn't keep the sarcasm from her voice. She knew the answer, but she couldn't help but ask her next question. "Have you seen Henry?"

 

Snow actually flinched. "Oh, Regina." She moved to touch Regina's arm again. Regina stiffened and stepped away before she could make contact. If there was one thing she couldn't abide at the moment, it was sympathy. "We'll find him," Snow said.

 

It was meant to be reassuring, Regina knew. Words David and Snow exchanged to reaffirm their love for one another in the most disgusting and sappy manner possible. They tasted like ash in Regina's mouth. Love had never come easily to her, never fallen into her lap, but repeatedly been torn from her in the most brutal manner possible. Now Henry was gone too, gone far out into the real world who knew where. There was no guarantee that she would ever find her son, much less see him again.

 

A shriek had rent the air then, so anguished and vile that it could be nothing but a cry of attack. Regina knew that feeling, had lived and breathed it. Fire flared in the palm of her hand without a thought, the only old and dear companion left to her, as a grin slid across her lips. At least that had been familiar.

 

Behind it all echoed the backbeat of _Henry, Henry, Henry,_ never ceasing. He was within her reach in a way he hadn't been in the Enchanted Forest and nothing would keep her from her son.

 

Now with Emma standing on the other side of the door, Regina felt another smile curling up onto her lips. Out there was a woman she had spent the better part of a year trying to destroy and when that had proved futile, set about doing her best to ignore. Together they had thwarted a curse that would have doomed the town and fought their way across Neverland, moving the moon and defeating that little creep Peter Pan to save their son. Emma remembered none of that now, the victories or defeats. She didn't know Regina or remember the battles they had fought, but Regina did. She had the advantage here and she was playing to win. Regina would do whatever it took to ensure she never lost Henry again, even if it meant playing nice with Emma Swan, using every bit of knowledge she had gained about the woman to make the best damn impression she could.

 

Her teeth were bared into a grin as she swung the door open, ignoring Emma's harsh demand and the ache that tightened around her chest like leather bands. "Miss Swan, do come in." Regina turned away and retreated into the entryway. "How would you like a glass of the best apple cider you've ever tasted?"

 

* * *

"Henry!" It didn't surprise Regina when he was the first thing Emma zeroed in one. She wouldn't have expected anything less from Emma and she waited patiently as Emma looked him over from head to toe. "What the hell is going on, kid? What are you doing in some tiny town in Maine so far off the beaten path, I got lost three times just trying to get here."

 

Regina's eyes narrowed at that apparent confirmation that the Dark Curse was still working. If it had taken even Emma that kind of time and effort to find Storybrooke...

 

She glanced over at Regina. "And who the hell are you?" Emma tugged Henry behind her, her hand falling to her side and what Regina imagined was the holster at her side. "Did you take my kid?"

 

"No," Regina said, just managing to squash her instinctive indignation at the accusation and the immediate response of "My son!" "No," Regina repeated more firmly. "Henry arrived here earlier seeking some information, but he refused to tell me anything about his parent or guardian. I was just about to call the Sheriff to report a missing child when you came barging into my home."

 

"You can't just run away from home without any explanation," Emma continued, folding her arms across her chest and giving Henry a stern glare. Something like vindication settled in Regina's stomach. "Seriously, kid? I need an explanation." Emma shot another quick glance between Regina and Henry. "And if he didn't tell you anything, then how did you know my name?"

 

There was only one possible explanation that didn't make Regina sound like she should be in an asylum, but the mere thought of it burned like acid in the back of Regina's throat. She forced herself to say it anyway. "Your son is quite the gentleman. He introduced himself to me when I answered the door. Your name was a logical deduction."

 

Henry made a noise, something between a gasp and a strangled cry. Regina refused to look over at him. She didn't want to know what expression was on his face or what that sound had meant. Was he sad that he was once again a Mills or was it relief? Pain on her behalf? It was too much to hope. Regina couldn't, so she focused on Emma, who was looking if not relieved, then slightly less like she was about to draw the weapon at her side.

 

"Let me repeat, would you like to come into my study and sit down? I have some wonderful cider," Regina added, pushing down the bitter smile that wanted to curve over her lips. "We can talk."

 

"Sure," Emma said, glancing away for an instant to throw her arm around Henry's neck and pull him tight against her side. "You'll excuse me if I don't want Henry out of my sight right now though."

 

"Of course," Regina said, stepping back. "I can imagine."

 

"Yeah?" It was plain that Emma didn't believe her. "I doubt it. Unless you've been in this situation it's kinda hard, lady."

 

"I...my name is Regina, not lady, and I have been." Out of the corner of her eye, Regina saw Emma blanche and Henry jostle her with his elbow as they followed her into the study. Emma shot him a glare in return, still unhappy about his disappearance, but the grim set of her face indicated that she got it and she was sorry. When they had been seated with glances of cider for all, some of the non-hard variety for Henry, Emma set the glass down on the coffee table, missing the coaster completely and leaned forward.

 

"Listen, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have assumed before... I've been an ass since I got here, but if you've been here before you know how scared shitless I am right now. The kid's never done anything like this before. I was pretty crazy when I was his age, but I never thought he would..." Emma shrugged. "I'm sorry. You've been really nice."

 

Regina nodded, taking a quick fortifying sip before she spoke. "Your apology is unnecessary." Her lips twisted into a bitter smile. "I did things you can't imagine when I lost my son." And she had. She would have stopped at nothing to force Emma out of town. She had done whatever it took, right up until the moment she had realized she was hurting Henry. She had hurt her son and she had sworn in that moment that it would never happen again. Regina shook her head to dispel those memories. "But I think perhaps all you need to do to reassure yourself about why Henry would do this is to ask him yourself."

 

"Right, uh," Regina could have laughed at the desperate look that Henry shot her, at a loss for what explanation he was supposed to be giving. She had been thinking, wracking her brain since the moment she had realized Emma was at the door and there was only she could think of that would convince Emma to stay in town. It was the same thing that had done it before, family and a challenge. "You see, Mom..."

 

"If I may?" Regina interjected. When no one stopped her, she continued. "Henry came to see me because he thought I might have information about his family."

 

"His family?" Emma shot her a confused look. "Henry, you know they found me..." she glanced at Regina and lowered her voice as she turned back to him. "You know where they found me. There's no records or anything, kid." Her brow furrowed.

 

"I misspoke," Regina said. "I meant, his father's family. You see I worked for Henry's grandfather for some time when I was younger. You could say he was my mentor."

 

"Neal?" Emma blurted out. "You know-?" She cut herself off and turned back to Henry. "How, Henry? How did you find her? I never could find anything about him."

 

Henry shrugged. "I just got lucky I guess. I spent a lot of time at the library? The stuff you'd told me helped and I made some guesses."

 

"You should have told me," Emma said, soft and wounded.

 

Henry looked down and nudged at the arch of one socked foot with the toe of the other. "You were so happy. I didn't want to ruin it."

 

"Kid..." Emma touched his shoulder and ducked down to meet his eyes. She took a deep breath and forced herself to smile. "Yeah, I am pretty happy with Walsh, but that's not... That's nothing. You're the most important thing in my life, Henry. You always will be, no matter what. If you're not happy then I want to know about it. I would have helped you."

 

Henry bit his lip, looking touched, and beneath that, nervous. Despite his many operations and schemes, Henry had never been a good liar. Regina had always been able to see through his lies. His best chance of hiding something from her had been lies of omission and he had been very good at that. "Yeah." He put on his best penitent son expression and threw his arms around Emma's waist. "I'm sorry, Mom." His eyes met Regina's behind Emma's back and dropped away again as quickly as he had met her gaze with an apologetic grimace.

 

"Don't do it again, kid," Emma said, her voice muffled by Henry wrapped tightly around her. She hugged him hard and then let go to straighten back up. "I guess we should probably be going. Thanks for letting us get everything sorted out here. I know it's really late, but we should be getting back."

 

"Wait," Henry almost shouted, reaching out to catch Emma's hand. "We can't leave."

 

"Henry-" Emma started as she rose.

 

"You said," Henry exclaimed. "You said all I had to do was ask," he paraphrased with all the quick thinking of a child used to using logic and well thought out arguments to get his way. "Well, we're here and I want to find my dad. M-Regina can help." He bit his lip, looking worried at his slip Regina knew. Her own heart was beating rapidly in her chest, whether because he had come so close to slipping or because she hated hearing her name out of his lips, Regina couldn't say. It gave no sign of slowing as the moment dragged on. What she would do if she and Henry couldn't convince Emma to stay, Regina didn't know. She couldn't think about it, not yet.

 

Emma bent down until she could look Henry in the eye. "Henry," she began gently. "If you're upset about me and Walsh..." She shook her head. "I didn't realize you were so upset. I would never have told him yes."

 

Regina's heart skipped a beat at that. The thought of Emma forming a new life outside of the town, moving on had never occurred to her. Henry had always been enough for her. Graham was nothing more than the occasional diversion. But Emma, Emma was different. Emma Swan had always wanted a family, the bigger the better. And now she was engaged. It was a strange thought, and one that would make this much more complicated.

 

"I'm not, Mom," Henry protested. This time he didn't look at Regina. She would just have to get used to him calling Emma that. And not calling her that. "Really. I just want to know my dad too. Is that so crazy?"

 

"No, but, Henry..." Emma sighed. "Kid, your dad was a long time ago, at a really different point in my life." Her voice dropped even further until Regina could barely hear her. "I don't want him to disappoint you. You deserve better. Neal's not-" She shook her head. "I've changed; I don't know if he has. Did that Hook guy find you? Did he say something to you about your dad?" "What?” Henry blurted out, thrown off in his confusion. “No. I haven’t even seen him since he showed up at the apartment. Just let me try," Henry begged, grabbing her hand. "Please, E- Ma?" So Hook had contacted Emma somehow. That was interesting. Yet another thing to worry about. If they made it through this conversation, then she and Henry would have to have a talk soon about his conflicting memories. Lying to Henry when it had been the only way to keep him and keep the curse from unraveling had been hard enough. Watching him having to juggle two sets of memories and worry about she and Emma's feelings through it all was almost worse.

 

"Okay, kid," Emma said after a long moment of silence, unable to resist the pleading look Henry had been giving her. "Okay. We still need to find a place to stay for tonight though."

 

"I'm afraid that might be difficult," Regina interjected, pursing her lips. "This is a small town and there have been a few disappearances here of late. Some of the more timid townsfolk have gathered to be closer to the center of town. Granny's Bed and Breakfast is the only place to stay in town and it's full at the moment."

 

Emma rubbed at her face and sighed. "Okay, so what's the nearest town where we can find a place?"

 

"It's quite a ways," Regina said. She stood to match Emma. "It's far too late for you to travel that far tonight. Why don't you and Henry stay here tonight?"

 

"I...no, we couldn't impose," Emma said, her automatic refusal to accept help from a stranger kicking in.

 

Henry yawned, the sound escaping him at far too convenient a moment to be accidental, but he managed to make it look like he was valiantly fighting it back. Yes, he and Regina really were going to have to talk soon. Perhaps his acting skills had improved.

 

"It wouldn't be an imposition," Regina promised. "I offered and I feel bad. You see, what I was about to tell Henry when you arrived was that, while I knew his father and grandfather, I'm not sure how much help I can be. Neal and his father were two of those disappearances that I mentioned before."

 

"Mom," Henry gasped. "Please, we have to stay. If my dad and his dad are in trouble then you can help. Finding people is what you do."

 

Emma hesitated, before giving in with a slump. "Fine." She looked over at Regina. "We'd really appreciate a place to stay." She looked down at the austere furniture. "We can crash on the couch or whatever."

 

Relief surged through Regina like a flood. It took her a moment to collect herself. "That won't be necessary. I have a guest room. Just give me a moment." She turned her back on them without another word and strode out of the room. She did need a moment but not to tidy the guest room, to collect herself. Slumping back against the wall, Regina tried to catch her breath, her hand held to her heart. It was racing beneath her fingertips and all she could think about was how close Emma had come to walking out her door with Henry and leaving again. It took her several long moments before Regina felt like she could stand again. When she did, she pushed away from the wall, straightened her dress and strode back toward the doorway.

 

She hesitated at the low murmur of Emma's voice. "...not sure how much I can do. If there have been a bunch of disappearances, the sheriff will be involved. He might not want me poking around." Henry said something in return that she couldn't catch, then Emma's voice again. "But I'll do my best, kid. Promise." It allowed Regina to take a slow steady breath. If Emma had promised Henry she would help him, then she would. Emma Swan didn't go back on her promises.

 

"If you'll follow me," Regina said, stepping into the room. "I'll show you where everything is."

 

"Thanks," Emma said with a grin. "I should get my bag from the car." She gave Henry a sharp look. "Don't go anywhere, kid."

 

"I won't," Henry promised. He waited until the front door had closed behind Emma before he looked over at Regina. "What about the pictures?"

 

It took Regina a second to realize what he meant. The second story was full of pictures of Henry, and a scattered few of the two of them together. If Emma caught a glimpse of them, all of their creative storytelling would be worthless and she would be convinced Regina was some kind of crazy stalker. There would be nothing Regina could say that would undo the damage of that. Emma would stop at nothing to protect her son. "I'll take care of it," Regina said grimly. With a wave of her hand, the pictures disappeared, magically removed from the walls and buried in the depths of her closet. The blank spots would be apparent even to someone who was unfamiliar with her decor, but Regina would explain it when she had to. Until then, she would be grateful that her son was once again spending the night within the walls of their home, with her.

 

 


	5. Chapter Four

Tired though she was from the events of the day, the stress of the week she had been back in Storybrooke, sleep still refused to come for Regina. She lay in bed for several long hours, her ears straining to catch the sound of Henry's steady breathing from down the hall or perhaps Emma moving about. She knew Emma Swan too well to trust her completely. As likely as Emma was to confront her, she was equally likely to take Henry and flee in the middle of the night. When Regina could lay still no longer, she rose and paced her room from end to end. Henry was back yes, and for now Emma had agreed to stay in Storybrooke and search for Neal and Rumplestiltskin. But eventually especially with a fiance in the picture, Emma would want to return to their life in the city and their would be nothing Regina could do to stop her unless she used magic against her. For Henry's sake it wasn't something that Regina wanted to do. The only other option was to find out what had brought them back to Storybrooke and break the curse that had been put over Emma. Not simple, but Regina had no other option.

 

Her pacing slowed as the night wore on and sometime in the early hours of the morning she laid back down. She would just close her eyes for a moment to rest them. Henry would notice in the morning if they were red and bloodshot.

 

Regina woke between one instant and the next, shooting up straight in bed and looked around in a panic. Sunlight streamed in the window but she had no idea what had woken her. Throwing the covers off her, she strode down the hall as she had a week before heading straight for Henry’s room. Her heart raced in her chest and Regina pressed her forehead against the door for just a moment before she could open it. The possibility that she had just imagined Henry’s return was unbearable. She turned the knob and opened the door. Her legs went to jelly at the sight of Henry lying in his own bed. Regina sagged against the doorframe until she collect herself and then walked over to the bed, her legs trembling with each step. She brushed his bangs back from his forehead and leaned over to kiss him.

 

A sudden sharp clatter made Regina jerk back away from Henry and spin to look at the hall, worried that she had been caught, but there was no one there.

 

“Mom?” Henry’s sleep voice brought her attention back to her son, and Regina let herself go, sinking down beside him on the bed. “What’s wrong?”

 

“Nothing, dear,” Regina reassured him. “Everything’s fine.” With Henry here it was easy enough to believe. “You should sleep. You had a long day yesterday.”

 

“‘kay,” Henry slurred, his eyes barely open. He dropped his head back down to his pillow and seemed as if he was about to fall back asleep. Without warning he popped back up and threw his arms around Regina, squeezing her into a long, tight hug. Surprised, Regina’s arms came up a moment late but she held him back just as tightly until he let go and sank back down into his covers. She tucked them in around him, a smile bursting across her face as she did, and slipped out of the room.

 

Regina backtracked to retrieve a robe from her room then headed downstairs to see what Emma was destroying now. She found Emma as expected in her kitchen. What Regina hadn’t expected was to see Emma fully dressed and sitting on her counter, shoveling lasagna in her mouth straight from the pan. Emma choked when she saw Regina come in and swallowed a too large bite without chewing it.

 

“Herk!” There were a few more garbled sounds that Emma managed to get out around her food that Regina supposed were intended to be words, but she couldn’t decipher any of them. She raised an impatient brow and waited.

 

“Hi,” Emma managed to get out a moment later after some valiant swallowing. “Sorry. I was hungry and you don’t really have anything else to eat in here.” She shrugged and looked down. “I didn’t want to stop for anything last night before I found the kid and then it was super late…” She gestured down at the pan of lasagna in her hand with her fork. “This stuff is amazing. What’s in it? I’ve never tasted any like it before.”

 

Regina couldn’t help the small snort of laughter that escaped her. It was reassuring to see that nothing could change some things about Emma. "It's red pepper flakes. The recipe is one of my specialties."

 

"I can see why," Emma said appreciatively, before she set down the pan and scooted forward off the counter. Regina managed not to wince. Counters were not for sitting. "Can I ask you a question?"

 

"It seems you already have, Miss Swan," Regina pointed out, leaning back against the sink, bracing herself with her arms.

 

Emma rolled her eyes, but said, "Emma. Call me Emma. Ms. Swan makes me feel old or like a really mean kindergarten teacher."

 

"I haven't decided if that's appropriate yet," Regina said, temporizing. She had no reason to preserve the distance between she and Emma now. In Neverland they had been a team of sorts, working together to bring Henry home. Now they were, well it would depend much on how Emma felt when she regained her memories, but Regina didn't think they would remain enemies. Not when Henry was at stake between them. It felt wrong somehow, to call Emma by her given name now though, like cheating. Even if her goal was to gain Emma's trust and keep her close.

 

Emma snorted, seeming more bemused than irritated by Regina's response. "Let me know when you figure it out." She took a step closer to Regina, almost but not quite in her personal space. "Why are you being so nice to me and my kid?"

 

The question caught Regina by surprise even if it shouldn't have. "Do I have to have an ulterior motive, Miss Swan?" She crossed her arms over her chest, feeling hurt despite herself.

 

"I don't know," Emma said as if she were thinking out loud. "In my experience everyone does. But I don't know you well enough to say what yours might be."

 

Regina opened one hand in invitation. "What would you like to know?"

 

Emma eyed her, looking as if she were sizing up whether the offer was really genuine. "What do you do for a living?"

 

"I'm the Mayor of this town," Regina said, relaxing on to safe and familiar territory. "I have been for many years."

 

"Why?" Emma pushed, even as she shoved her hands in her back pockets and leaned back a bit.

 

Regina blinked. _Because I was the ruler of this land and these people and Mayor is how the Dark Curse translated that power and position_ , just wasn't going to cut it, she suspected. Instead she chose her words with care, infusing them with as much truth as she dared, knowing Emma would be able to sense it if she lied too baldly. "I didn't chose to become Mayor or this town. I was a position I was thrust into. My...husband was Mayor before me and when he died, I was left with the position." All true. Even if calling Leopold her husband - or associating him with Storybrooke - made her hands curl into fists at her side. This was her realm - hers - and had never been tainted by his hand. It galled to suggest otherwise. "But..." Regina continued. "Once I found myself in the position, I realized it was one I enjoyed."

 

"You enjoyed listening to people's petty grievances and bitching about pot holes it isn't your job to fix?" Emma interjected, with a skeptical shake of her head. "Maybe you are some kind of saint, Lady."

 

"Power," Regina cut her off, clamping her lips shut as she realized what she had said and how rude it might have sounded. She flushed as she realized more explanation would be expected and necessary thanks to her slip. "I enjoyed having power over people and knowing that they had none over me."

 

Emma sobered and her whole body seemed to still. "I get that," she said with a nod. "Not fond of having my choices taken away." She shrugged. "You seem pretty good at your job. I mean from what I could see last night, coming into town it looked pretty nice for a small place like this."

 

"Thank you," Regina said, accepting the credit as her due.

 

Emma laughed, but this time it seemed uncomfortable. "See the thing is, you knowing my kid's dad and his dad, that makes me uncomfortable." Emma lowered her voice, until it barely carried to Regina. "My kid's dad - Neal - he wasn't the greatest guy. And on the few occasions that he ever mentioned his dad, it seemed like he was scared of him. Or hated the guy. Either way, it's not much of a recommendation, you two being bosom buddies."

 

Regina tensed. Even now in a world where Emma Swan couldn't remember who she was and what she was done accusations were still thrown at her feet and accountability demanded. "And what about you, Miss Swan? You knew Mr. Cassidy well enough to have a child with him. What is your excuse?"

 

Emma stiffened, her lips pressing into a thin line. "No excuses," she said curtly. "I was a kid and I made bad decisions. But I paid for them and I worked long and hard to get where I am now."

 

"As have I," Regina snapped. She let out a barely controlled sigh as Emma stared at her, tired more than anything else. "Gold was a dear friend of my mother's," Regina said. "That should not be taken as a recommendation, but that's how I came to know him. He helped me achieve my goals for many years when no one else would help me. It wasn't until I realized he was using me for his own ends - to bring Mr. Cassidy back into his life actually - that I split from him."

 

Emma studied her for a long moment and nodded. "Fair enough. Thank you for telling me." She cocked her head at Regina and smiled. "Are you sure about that whole Emma thing?"

 

She looked so much like a golden retriever puppy in that moment that Regina couldn't help but laugh. "We'll see."

 

* * *

 

 

Granny's Diner was crowded when they stepped inside but there was still a corner table available, the damp surface indicating it had only recently been vacated. Henry ran over to claim it before anyone else could, bouncing on the seat as he hopped in. Regina couldn't contain her smile as he grinned back up at her despite his lack of manners and decorum.

 

"So what's good here?" Emma asked as she slid in next to Henry, leaving Regina to sit across from them. The friendliness of it all felt strange but nice.

 

"Their apple pancakes are wonderful," Regina recommended. "And they have wonderful hot chocolate. Not quite as good as the homemade hot chocolate that I make, but it's acceptable."

 

Emma laughed. "Okay, now you have to prove it."

 

"Do I?" Regina asked with an arched brow.

 

"Oh yeah," Emma agreed. "You can't just throw out something like that and not back it up. Right, kid?"

 

Henry nodded solemnly. "We definitely need some hot chocolate soon."

 

"Coming right up," Ruby chirped appearing beside them. "What else can I get you?"

 

Henry gave his order without looking at the menu. Regina was pleased to hear it wasn't too sugary despite the addition of the hot chocolate.

 

"And what about you?" Ruby asked with a grin as she turned to Emma.

 

"I'll have the apple pancakes and some of that hot chocolate," Emma said. "Gotta have something to compare it to," she added with a wink in Regina's direction.

 

"I'll only ruin it for you later," Regina said. "Enjoy it while you can."

 

"Ooh," Emma said with a reading grin. "Evil."

 

Regina winced at the unexpected comment. She knew this Emma meant nothing by it but the unexpected comment still stung. Ruby intervened just before the silence could grow awkward or the slightly desperate and uncomfortable look on Henry's face could turn into him blurting out something unfortunate.

 

"You usual?" Ruby asked Regina and received a small nod in response. "Good to have you two back," Ruby added with a quick, fond squeeze of Emma's forearm as she turned to leave. "We'll catch up later." With a wink at Henry and a swish of skirts, Ruby was gone, leaving Emma looking puzzled and Henry green as if he were about to throw up.

 

"What did she mean by that?" Emma asked, staring after Ruby in confusion.

 

"I don't know, dear," Regina said, willing her rapidly thudding heart to slow. "Perhaps she mistook you for someone else."

 

"Could be, I guess," Emma said, but the reluctance to believe it was plain enough in her voice.  There was nothing Regina could do about it now though. The only thing she could do was make certain Ruby didn't compound her error. Ruby would be the perfect person to spread the word about Emma and Henry's return and the Savior's lack of memory. She hadn't had time yet to call Snow and Charming and let them know what was going on. It had been too late last night and Emma too near this morning for Regina to get a moment to herself.

 

"If you'll excuse me," Regina muttered. "Restroom." She rose without waiting for a response, ducking out of sight down the hallway before she headed for the kitchen. Ruby would be lucky if she didn't get a piece of Regina's mind.

 

* * *

 

 

Regina's heart almost stopped as she returned to the table. Snow and Charming were standing in front of the table where Henry and Emma sat, Snow talking animatedly. Henry looked green and Regina didn't think it was from the plate of Granny's eggs in front of them. Regina stifled the urge the urge to run back to the table and forced herself not to tackle Snow and knock her aside. Or desperately throw a hand across her mouth to shut her up. As she stepped up behind Snow, the reason for Henry's panic became apparent.

 

"...so wonderful. I always wanted another chance and now here you are, just in time to meet your little brother or sister. I think it's wonderful! Don't you?" Snow asked, finally cluing in to the stunned and disbelieving look on Emma's face. "Emma? What's wrong?" Snow asked, dropping into the seat beside her, and grasping both of Emma's arms in a tight grip.

 

"What's wrong?" Emma repeated looking past her and shooting Regina a look that almost seemed to plead for help. "I don't know you." Emma stumbled to her feet, turning so that she blocked Henry from Snow's view. "And I think you need to leave. I don't know how you know my name, but you're way out of line. I'm not your kid and I don't have any siblings." She gestured at Snow. "We're the same age!"

 

"Oh," Snow said, seeming to sink into the seat even though she was already sitting down. "Oh, no." All the animation drained away from her face leaving her looking aged in a matter of moments. "You don't remember."

 

"Mary Margaret," Regina said, catching her wits enough to step forward and cut in. She couldn't afford to let Snow ruin this in her surprise. "I think it's time for you and David to leave."

 

"But, Regina-" Snow began to protest.

 

Regina cut her off, turning to David, hoping against hope that he was thinking more quickly than his stunned and very pregnant wife. "David." The command in her voice was plain.

 

"Snow," David said, bending down beside his wife and touching her arm. "We need to go."

 

"But I can fix it," Snow said, standing with absolute certainty and leaning forward. She grabbed Emma's face in her hands and pushed her bulk up on her tiptoes to press a kiss to Emma's forehead.

 

Henry gasped and Regina felt the faintest fluttering of hope, but there was nothing, no brilliant light or rush of magic. Only a very confused Emma who had instinctively reached out to steady Mary Margaret as she lost her balance and stumbled into Emma.

 

"Hey!" Emma protested. "No kissing. I don't know you well enough for all that." She glanced back at David as she firmly but gently pushed Mary Margaret back away from her. "I think you both need to leave before I file harassment charges."

 

"Sorry," David murmured, looking and sounding as if he had just taken an axe to the head. "She's sorry. We'll just..." He gestured behind him and then wrapped his arms around Snow and began to lead her away. Regina could see him speaking to Snow in low murmurs but couldn't make out what he was saying. Which was fortunate. If they hadn't already ruined this with Emma it would be a miracle, and she would have to go and talk to Snow later. Perhaps even apologize. It was irritating.

 

"This town is insane," Emma said, dropping back down in her seat next to Henry. She glanced over at him and nudged him with her elbow. "You okay, kid?"

 

Henry nodded, still looking wide-eyed. "Yeah, that was really weird." He didn't sound convincing, but Emma was too distracted to notice. Their luck wouldn't last, Regina knew, but she was thankful for it while it did.

 

"What was that?" Emma asked Regina. "Does that happen a lot?"

 

When Regina had been the Evil Queen, stopping to think had not been her forte. Taking action had been. The situation was similar enough in its sheer insanity that Regina reacted out of habit, saying the first thing she thought. "That was Mary Margaret Blanchard. Her story is tragic, of course, but it makes her no less a lunatic." Regina paused to take a deep breath and glance over at Henry, shooting him a warning look. Emma seemed to take it as a question directed at her instead.

 

"It's okay. Henry knows that things in life aren't always easy or good," Emma said. "But thanks for asking."

 

"Certainly," Regina said, brushing a lock of hair back out of her face to tuck it behind her ear. "Miss Blanchard lost a child." Emma paled at her blunt words. "Since then she hasn't been..." Regina sighed and tried to regret what she was about to say, but she couldn't help the smug sense of satisfaction that welled within her instead.  She was the Evil Queen and no saint. She wasn't good at playing pretend any more and there were far worse things she could be doing than calling her former hated step-daughter a poor lunatic. "Her husband, David, is kind and takes care of her, but she isn't always..." Regina started again. "I believe she thought you were her missing daughter in her confusion. Her name was Emma as well."

 

"Oh," Emma said softly. "That sucks."

 

"Mmm," Regina said, an agreeing nod the best she could manage at that moment. Her biggest consolation was the belief that one day Emma would regain her memories and remember this conversation.

 

"I feel bad for her," Emma continued. "I can't imagine how she must feel. Her husband seems like a pretty great guy."

 

"David, yes. He's the sheriff," Regina noted, no longer interested in her previous diversion and searching for small talk to continue the conversation.

 

Emma groaned and buried her face in her palms. "So he's the guy I have to ask for permission to stick my nose into these investigations?"

 

This time when Regina smiled it was full and sharp and dangerous. "Actually, Miss Swan, I seem to not have much confidence in my Sherriff this week. I think he's distracted by current events. As Mayor of this town would you be so kind as to look into this rash of dissapearances we've been having lately?"

 

"Yay, Mom!" Henry's cheer changed and softened Regina's smile, but left it no less wide as she flashed him a smile in return for his approval, but Henry was looking at Henry with a stricken expression, arms held stiffly at his side.

 

"Thanks, kid," Emma said, a little rueful at his sudden enthusiasm. "But I think it's the Mayor you should be cheering and not me. I haven't done anything yet."

 

"But you will," Henry said, with a gulp to push down his worry. "I know you'll find them, Mom." He emphasized the word a little too much this time as if he was reminding himself of what he was supposed to call Emma now. The pancakes felt leaden and queasy in Regina's stomach.

 

Emma ruffled his hair fondly. "C'mon, kid. If we're going to do this, we'd better get going. I need to get a list of the names of all the people who are missing and then start interviewing their friends and families."

 

"Miss Swan!" Regina bit the words out before she could contain them. "That sounds far too dangerous for a boy of Henry's age."

 

"He's my son," Emma said, her voice changing to hard and cold in an instant. "I think I can tell what's best for him."

 

Regina fought the urge to push herself to her feet and get in Emma's face as she would have of old, as she had so many times over Henry. But fighting would gain her what she wanted now, she couldn't, not if she wanted to keep Henry here. "I'm sure," Regina said, forcing her head down to hide the anger she couldn't contain in her eyes. "I was only expressing concern. Pardon me."

 

"It does sound kind of boring, Mom," Henry said. "Maybe I could hang out with M-Mayor Mills and see what running a town is like."

 

Emma snorted and ruffled his hair. "You thinking of going into politics, kid?"

 

Henry shrugged and flashed her a grin. "Gotta keep my options open." He shot a glance at his mom a wicked twinkle in his eyes. "College sounds so boring." Regina made a strangled sound, barely keeping back the words that wanted to spill out of her mouth, and shot Henry a piercing glare. "Or maybe not," Henry amended. "See, Mom, that's why I need career advice," he added to Emma. "I'm confused."

 

"You're barely a teenager. You're not supposed to have it all figured out," Emma countered. She stood, looking down at Regina and Henry, and met Regina's gaze for a long moment. Without turning away from Regina she said, "You haven't asked Mayor Mills yet." She cocked her head. "Regina."

 

"Mayor Mills," Regina said without leaving any room for further quibbling. Emma scrunched up her nose like she had smelled something unpleasant and turned to Henry. He was glancing back and forth between them like he was trying to figure something out. Emma arched an eyebrow and he lurched into motion.

 

"Right. Mayor Mills, can I hang out with you today and see what the Mayor of Storybrooke does?" Henry blurted out, running over the awkward formality of them as quickly as he could.

 

"I would love that," Regina said, with utter sincerity, and then eyed Emma. "Perhaps if it's all right with Miss Swan we can go shopping this afternoon, and I'll fix the two of you a proper meal this evening."

 

"Sounds amazing," Emma said, but there was a tension in the way she stood now that hadn't been there before. She shoved her hand in her pocket, pulled out a few bills and handed them to Henry. "Here, kid, why don't you go pay for breakfast so we can get this show on the road?"

 

"Cool," Henry said, taking the money and heading to the counter, but not without one last look between the two of them. Regina tried to give him the barest reassuring nod.

 

Emma stepped closer to Regina as soon as Henry's back was turned and Regina rose to meet her, leaving them standing almost nose to nose. "The kid and I will find another place to stay tonight."

 

Regina's hands clenched into fists at her side. She bit her cheek until the tang of blood began to fill her mouth and managed not to punch Emma Swan right in her face. This wasn't her Emma. She had to remind herself. Not the Emma Swan she had known. This Emma had no reason to trust her and no reason to hate her. No reason to take Henry away from her. This - maybe - was just Emma being Emma. "There aren't many places to go in Storybrooke, but the offer is open. I've enjoyed having you and Henry here."

 

"Thanks," Emma said, dropping her gaze, stubbing the toe of her boot against a crack in Granny's floor. "You've been very kind." The words sounded like they felt awkward coming out of Emma's mouth, but she said them anyway.

 

"Not kind," Regina found herself saying. "Selfish. I really have enjoyed the company these past few days. It's been nice to have someone in the house again."

 

Emma's face softened. "I get that." She brushed a piece of hair behind her ear and straightened, leaning forward to look Regina in the eye once again. "But it doesn't mean that if something happens to my kid while he's with you today, I won’t make you regret ever being born."

 

Every instinct in Regina screamed at her to push back at Emma to give as good as she got. Instead she grinned at Emma, a feral grin that showed teeth and was not the least bit sweet or kind. "I would do the exact same."

 

"Then we understand each other," Emma said, shoving her hands back in her pockets.

 

"We do," Regina agreed, folding her arms over her chest as she maintained her smile. She wouldn't expect any less from an Emma Swan who thought she was Henry's only guardian. After all, she would have - and had - done so much more.

 

* * *

Henry and Regina stepped into her Benz as Emma's yellow Beetle vanished down the street and turned the corner. Regina sank down into her seat with a sense of relief that echoed through her whole body. She let her eyes fall closed and sagged back against the headrest. Henry was with her and she had the briefest reprieve, a few hours when she didn't have to worry about Emma taking her son away.

 

"Mom?" Her son who sounded worried and a little bit scared right now. Without opening her eyes, Regina reached out for him. She meant to touch his knee, give it a squeeze, but he caught her hand in both of his instead, holding it tight. Her eyes snapped open and she blinked over at him furiously.

 

"Henry." She smiled. As tired as she was, as worried and exhausted and uncertain, she couldn't help it when she looked at him. All this was better, a thousand times better, than never seeing him again. "It's okay."

 

"I'm sorry," he blurted out. "About calling her mom and stuff. I just, the memories and it's so weird, Mom. There's all this stuff in my head and its jumbled but-"

 

She covered his hands with her own. "It's okay, Henry. She's your mother too."

 

"But it's different," he protested, his voice dropping off almost as sharply as he'd spoken up.

 

"I'm not angry," Regina said, ducking her head so she could look him in the eye. When she was certain he understood, she sagged back in her seat and let her eyes fall closed again but didn't let go of his hand. "I'm scared."

 

"Mom?" Henry's voice croaked mid-word and almost immediately Regina regretted her honesty.

 

"It's nothing," Regina said, with a shake of her head. She summoned her best reassuring smile and offered it to him like a distraction. Henry wasn't buying it, however, one of the few people who knew her well enough not to.

 

"Of the monster?" Henry suggested, ignoring what she had said and pressing forward.

 

"Hardly," Regina scoffed. "I may not be certain who or what is attacking the town yet, but this is my town and no puny beast is going to take it away from me." She straightened, trying to reach for her keys and start the car.

 

"Then what?" Henry continued, not letting go of her hand. Regina gave him a long look and he let go. Not quickly, not with fear in his eyes, but apology. "Please, Mom?"

 

Apparently, that was all it took. Regina squeezed her eyes shut once more. She couldn't have this conversation with him while she could see him watching her. Even with Henry this was too much of her heart lying helplessly on her sleeve. "I am scared that Emma will take you away and there will be nothing I can do, short of violence - which I will not resort to - that I can do about it."

 

"I won't go," Henry said as if there was no question. Regina looked at him. She couldn't not. He was slumped back in his seat, arms folded over his chest and looking as defiant as he ever had during the last worst months of her curse. "I don't care if she says we're leaving, I'll- I'll tell her the truth or something. I don't know, Mom, but I'm not leaving Storybrooke again." He flushed and looked down at his hands. "Not without you anyway." He picked at one nail. "I could take you to this awesome pizza place where Mom and I try to eat every Wednesday night." This time hearing him refer to Emma as Mom didn't hurt quite as badly, not when he wanted to take her there. "And my school was pretty cool - for a school. Not so much bird stuff," he added with a wrinkled nose. "You'd love the city. There's so much to see."

 

Regina let his words flow around her, enveloping her in warmth and comfort and home as she started the car.

 

* * *

"I'm so proud of you, Henry," Regina was saying as they got out of the car at the deserted farmhouse on the edge of town. "I knew you could figure it out."

 

Henry shrugged, but there was a pleased glimmer in his eyes. "Math's still not my favorite, but it's nice to finally get the hang of it."

 

"It will keep getting easier from here," Regina reassured him. "Once you have a solid grasp of the basics."

 

Henry nodded as he glanced around. "I'm pretty sure this doesn't have anything to do with furthering my math skills, though." It wasn't particularly cold for a Maine winter, but there was scattered snow on the ground and it was cold enough to make Henry draw his jacket closer around him as they took in the apparently deserted farmstead. "Why are we here?"

 

"Your grandparents texted me to meet them here. They probably wish to discuss that fiasco at the diner," Regina said, restraining the urge to roll her eyes at the last moment. "I need to bring them up to date on what's going on with Emma."

 

"What is going on with Emma?" Snow asked, coming around from beside the house with David and another man right behind her. "How did she and Henry get back here if she can't remember anything?"

 

"Henry remembered," Regina said, putting her arm around his shoulders and not even trying to restrain the pride she was feeling in her son. She pursed her lips, but relented enough to give him a knowing smile. "He put his tendency to run away to good use and decided to came here when he realized that whatever caused him to remember - we suspect it was a potion Hook gave him - hadn't caused Miss Swan to remember also. He arrived late last evening in Storybrooke. Emma managed to follow him here with some difficulty."

 

"Do you think it's permanent?" David asked, worry pressing his usual handsome features into sharp angles as he crossed his arms over his chest.

 

"I don't know," Regina said. "I would have know way of knowing without examining Emma and questioning her. There wasn't supposed to be any loopholes in my curse, however, and apparently True Love's Kiss didn't work," Regina said with a nod in Snow's direction.

 

"Can't you examine her?" Snow asked, ignoring her last remark.

 

"And how do you suggest I do that, Snow?" Regina bit out. "It was hard enough to explain your behavior. I've spent the last day trying to prevent her from leaving this town. What more do you want?"

 

"This isn't helping," the man behind David interjected. His was handsome in a scruffy sort of way and held a bow as if it was an extension of himself. "I came here to look for the missing folk. If you aren't interested in doing that, you should be going. This place may not be safe and the lad there shouldn't be endangered."

 

Flame flared in Regina's hand and she stepped forward. "Have a care, peasant. I would never do anything to endanger my son and I don't appreciate your suggestion." Finally someone she could unleash her temper upon instead of Emma, Emma who she had to coddle and cozy along until they could make her remember. Until Emma could push back the way they always did. It felt like dancing with a leg missing.

 

His bow lifted, not pointed at her, but not far out of line either. "I may be a peasant, but I am not the fodder you're used to," he said. "Try me if you wish."

 

"Hey," David said, cutting in and moving to stand in front of Regina, facing her and not the man with the crossbow. "This isn't helping anyone." He shot her a pleading look. "Robin here agreed to help us look for the missing people. Some of his men have disappeared too."

 

"We tracked them to the words near here before we lost sight of them," Robin said after a grudging moment. "We thought this place worth investigating. There's no other structures near here."

 

"Fine," Regina said, letting her hand fall to her side and the flame in it wink out in between one breath and the next. "Let's get this over with. As far as Emma's concerned, I'm showing Henry all about being a mayor in a small, sleepy town, not out investigating."

 

"Where is Emma?" Snow asked, as they approached the house, Regina holding her hand out to her side to keep Henry behind her.

 

"Investigating," Regina said dryly. "The pretext we used to keep her here was that Henry wanted more information about his father."

 

Snow glanced over at Regina sharply. "No one has-"

 

"I know," Regina cut her off. "It was the only thing I could think of that might keep her in town on short notice. I didn't exactly have a warning that she was about to show up on my doorstep."

 

"Her family," Snow murmured. It was soft and quiet enough to make Regina wince.

 

"Mom doesn't remember about magic. Without that she won't believe in family. Not if it's something she can't see and understand for herself," Henry said, cutting into their conversation.

 

Regina gestured toward Henry as if to say, "See?" and followed David and Robin into the house, keeping a wary eye on their surroundings and Snow and Henry especially, the two most trouble prone of their group. The place felt abandoned, but there was only one way to find out for certain. They needed answers and soon.

 

 


	6. Chapter Five

It was a magnificent forest, full of thick towering old growth trees and lush undergrowth. In the depth of winter, deep rich greens and dark browns still stood out against the white of snow and frost. Emma could appreciate that even as a city girl. She appreciated slogging through the undergrowth for the past fifteen minutes considerably less, and if it hadn't been for Henry asking her to do this, she would have gone back ten minutes ago. Regina - Mayor Mills - Regina hadn't been kidding when she had said that there had been disappearances. It was a pretty big understatement, in fact. The best Emma could tell at least ten people were missing, with more vanishing every day. There was a vein tension that ran beneath the calm of the town that, once tapped became readily apparent. The people here were strange - and strangely reluctant to speak with her. Emma had gone by the Sheriff's office first, savoring her mayorly permission to investigate the disappearances, to get a list of the missing only to find the office unlocked and completely deserted. When several quick glances around the office had yielded no one, Emma had dove in and skimmed the paperwork on top of the desk until she thought she had managed to compile a decent enough timeline and list of the missing.

 

Whoever the sheriff was, their organizational skills were atrocious and the equipment they used was embarrassing. Emma had gone through it in under ten minutes, and it had only taken so long because it ran that slowly. Her interviews had started oddly and only gotten stranger as she went down her list.

 

The first one had seemed pretty textbook. A young woman, a nineteen year old mother by the name of Ashley Boyd, had gone out late one evening to get formula for her daughter and never returned home. According to her fiance nothing like that had ever happened before. More questions had revealed that things had been rocky between the two of them at the beginning of their relationship but it had been the fiancé who had tried to run away, not Ashley. In most cases the fiancé would have been Emma's number one suspect but not this time. One look in his eyes had shown his fear and desperation and Emma didn't think he was a good enough actor to pull it off. Not to mention he hadn't felt like he was lying to her. Emma preferred facts to back up her intuition but she would trust it for now.

 

Her second stop had been to investigate the disappearance of a child. Those were always the hardest and Emma had taken a moment in the car to pull herself together before she got out at the strange looking house. Henry’s disappearance was no less terrifying for how short it had been. Emma had never been so scared before in her life, not even when she had been out on the street with no place to go and no idea where her next meal was coming from. The relief she had felt at having him back where she could see him and know he was safe was overwhelming. Emma hadn’t realized how much it felt like drowning until she had found him and could breathe again. Maybe it had gone to her head a little because she couldn’t imagine any other explanation for her allowing them to spend the night at the mayor’s home instead of finding some other place for them to stay. There was something about the mayor that had bugged her all evening, but come the morning it had eased and sitting in her kitchen eating lasagna and listening to the mayor - Regina - talk about why she did what she did had been the most relaxed Emma had felt in some time. Despite it all though, Emma still couldn’t quite believe that she had left Henry with Regina. It had felt like a logical decision at the time, but the more she thought about it the stranger it seemed. She never left Henry with anyone she didn’t know very well and she’d had no intention of letting Henry out of her sight today. And yet when she had left, it had seemed right.

 

Emma had shaken her head and threw open the heavy, stiff door of her Beetle and stepped out. Maybe it had been Regina’s words about the dangers of her job; she was right about that. No matter how routine a job seemed, it never was in Emma’s line of work. She didn’t know how many times she had gone around a house to ask the occupants a few questions only to have a suspect blow out the door, knocking her on her ass as they fled. And that was one of the better case scenarios. The guy that had shot at her before she’d even knocked on the door had really pissed her off. If something ever happened to Henry because he had come with her on a job, Emma didn’t know how she would live with herself, so maybe it was for the best. Telling herself she would call and check on him when she was done here, Emma headed for the door. Tilting her head to one side, Emma squinted at the house. It couldn’t be, but… did it look like a shoe?

 

“Whatta ya want?” the tiny old woman who had opened the door demanded when Emma knocked. Her face was wizened and craggy with age and her once dark hair was shot through with dull gray. The way it hung lank around her face didn’t make her seem any younger. Though the door was only open a crack, Emma had made out at least a half-dozen young unsmiling faces milling around behind her.

 

“I’m here to talk to you about a missing child. Your son, Samuel,” Emma had continued, forcing what she hoped was an unthreatening expression on her face that might encourage the woman to open up to her.

 

The woman grunted and let her hand fall away from the door. It swung open a little wider and Emma had taken it as invitation enough to step inside. Every hair on the back of her neck had stood on end as she had stepped inside.

 

The old woman who had refused to ever give Emma her name had been uncooperative and every word out of her mouth grudging, but that hadn’t been Emma’s worst interview of the day. That honor had gone to her next one after the old woman with the many children. Many children that Emma might just consider mentioning to Regina as the mayor because the way their clothes had hung from their too small frames had verged on emaciated and if the room had been any better lit and she had been able to tell if that was a bruise or a shadow across the littlest one’s wrist… No matter the outcome of this case, Emma wouldn’t forget them. She would be back until she could figure it out and she wouldn’t let it go, no matter what the old woman said, until she was satisfied that those kids were okay.

 

The next house hadn’t been what she expected, small but with a sprawling garden with neat paths and burbling fountains. The door had been yanked open a handful of seconds after Emma had knocked.

 

“Al!” The young woman, dark hair flying around her face as she skidded to a stop had looked first disappointed and then upset as she saw it was Emma and not the man she had been looking for. “You’re not Al,” she said, folding her arms over her chest and taking a wary step back.

 

“No, I’m Emma Swan,” Emma had said, holding out a hand as she introduced herself. The woman had stared at it for a moment before reaching out to give it a brief shake. “I’m actually here to ask you a few questions about Al. I’m investigating these disappearances and anything you can tell me might help.”

 

The woman scowled. “I only have a moment. I was just leaving again to look for him. We only stopped because Rajah was growing hungry.”

 

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Emma said. “Maybe we can share information. I’ve talked to several other people today with missing loved ones.” She shoved her hands in her pockets. “They don’t seem to have much in common but-” Emma bit her words off mid-sentence as the door had been nudged open wider. It took her an instant to process what she was seeing and then she blinked again because she couldn’t possibly being seeing what she thought she was. A full grown tiger stood next to the woman, lips curling back to reveal glinting fangs as he stared up at Emma. Not as far up as Emma might have hoped, his head coming to above her waist, and much, much closer than she wanted.

 

“What’s wrong?” the woman asked, glancing around as she noticed Emma’s distress. “Is something the matter?”

 

Emma swayed on her feet, afraid she was going to pass out for a moment. The blood had drained away from her face so quickly she felt light headed. A fully grown tiger. What the fuck. Her gun was at her side, but he wasn’t attacking or...or...nothing but staring at her with those gleaming teeth and, okay, licking his lips.

 

“Rajah, be nice,” the woman had snapped when she had followed the tiger’s gaze. “She’s here to help. I’m Jasmine, by the way,” she added as she had turned away and gestured for Emma to follow her inside. “Come in and we can discuss what Al’s done now. It might take some time.”

 

Once Emma had gotten over the tiger - and in no way had Emma actually managed to get over the tiger - but at some point while she was there her heart had stopped pounding like it was going to beat its way out of her chest and the adrenaline had worn off enough that she had stopped shaking with it - from sheer exposure if nothing else, Emma supposed. Jasmine and Emma had compared notes and managed to develop a timeline of the disappearance as best they could. Jasmine had already accomplished much of the groundwork Emma had intended to do - even if she would check up some points of Jasmine’s information to make sure she was as competent and thorough as she seemed. They had agreed to split the rest of the interviews on Emma’s list and then meet back at Granny’s to compare notes. Emma had gotten the interview for the most recent missing person, a man that went only by Little John and was living with a small camp of other homeless people in the woods. Jasmine had called them refugees, but Emma had never been able to figure out where they had come from or what they had been fleeing. Jasmine had been curiously vague about that.

 

That was why Emma was currently slogging through the woods looking for their camp as snow fell just hard enough to leave her hair damp and tangled.  Emma and Jasmine had concluded Little John must be the most recent victim, because Emma had only found the barest information about him at the Sheriff's office, a hastily scrawled note that sat on the desk that looked more like someone had taken down a phone message. Now if Emma could just get her bearing in this damn forest and get out of here... She wanted to find a damn lead so she could find, well she didn't want to find Neal or his father - not at all - but it had been the kid asking and he had been far, far more upset than she realized about her getting engaged to Walsh. The way he had covered his feelings had been scary good. Emma had never even suspected he had an issue with it the way he had been pushing her at Walsh.

 

The ring on her finger, with it's tastefully sized shiny rock, felt heavy. It was only then that Emma realized, she hadn't heard from Walsh since she had taken off after Henry's sparse trail. She wasn't sure how she felt about that. She had realized something was wrong the next morning when the school had called and asked where Henry was. One quick call to Avery's mother revealing that she had dropped him off at Emma's apartment the night before had left Emma in a panic. There was a dent slight dent in the Beetle's driver side door now, echoed by the not so slight bruising on her knuckles. Emma still stiff fist in reminiscence. It had taken her a good ten minutes of pacing and kicking the Beetle's tires before an eerie calm had settled over her, panic replaced by determination to find him. The fear bubbling up in her throat was too much, even in memory and Emma had to choke it off before it dropped her to her knees.

 

A pained, desperate cry jerked Emma's head up. She drew the weapon at her side in one smooth move and began moving closer to the sound. She had no idea what kind of natural predators Maine had - bears maybe? But whatever was making that noise was hurt and badly. Emma tripped over a log as she began to jog through the woods and shoved off a tree to right herself. She was still stumbling as she pushed into the clearing and caught a glimpse of a dark coat and light brown straggly hair disappearing into the woods on the opposite side. "Stop!" Emma commanded in her best bounty hunter voice. People were more conditioned to obey authority than they thought; it worked enough times to make it worth trying, even if Emma didn't have the legal authority to back it up.

 

The figure kept moving forward though, out of sight except for the sounds of them crashing through the brush and the crack of branches and rustle of leaves. Emma broke into a run to catch up, shoving her gun back in the holster in case she had to tackle her feeling suspect, and stopped short as the forest opened up in front of her again. There was no one in sight and few of the trees near enough for them to have hidden behind were big enough to hide a person. "Damn it!" Emma growled out. She was already sick of this stupid town and this stupid job that she wasn't even getting paid for. It was ridiculous, but complaining about it wouldn't help - or make it go any faster. Keeping her eyes peeled, Emma went to the first one, not expecting to find anything, but knowing she had to search nonetheless.

 

"Emma?" Emma hadn't been expecting to run into anyone she knew out in the forest, so hearing someone call out her name was a big enough surprise on its own. But the very last person she had expected to see, standing a few feet away from, one hand propped him up against the trunk of a pine tree, was Neal looking happy to see her, grinning and jovial as he moved toward her. "You're here!" he exclaimed, holding out his arms as if he expected a hug from her.

 

Emma threw up a hand to stop him, but he was too close and her stiff arm sent her stumbling back instead of stopping him. She took an awkward step back to catch herself and her foot landed on nothing as the ground began to slope back. She landed hard on her ass and found herself looking up at him. He was trying, but not succeeding, not to laugh at her. Anger flashed through her and Emma shot to her feet, planting them firmly and swinging her fist up to hit him square in the jaw.

 

"What the hell?" Neal gasped as he fell back, clutching at his face with one hand. "I thought you'd be happy to see me, Emma." She swung again, but this time he caught her wrist before she could connect, turning the blow aside and pulling her against him, to stop another one. His hand scraped over the rough stone of her ring. "You got engaged."

 

"Happy to see you," she gritted out through clenched teeth. "You left me. Set me up to take the fall for you and got-" She bit her own words off before she said too much. Henry might want to know his father, but Emma still wasn't sure if it was a good idea and until she was there was no need for him to know about Henry. "You bastard," Emma cursed at him as she wrenched her arm away. She didn't want him touching her.

 

"Emma," Neal said, pulling back so that he was making no effort to touch her or come closer anymore. "I'm sorry. I know I hurt you and I will always regret that I listened to that damn puppet, but I thought we were okay." His face changed, a naked, hungry, and vulnerable look taking it over. "Is Henry with you? Are you both okay? I can't remember anything. It's all so jumbled." He shook his head as if trying to clear it. "There's too much in here."

 

Emma never consciously decided to pull her gun. It was just in her hand again, pointing not quite at Neal, but next to him where just a twitch of her fingers would bring it in line. "How the hell do you know about Henry?" she growled.

 

"Hey," Neal said, raising both hands in the air. "What's going on, Em- Ah!" The rest of his question was lost in a cry of pain as Neal fell to the ground clutching his head.

 

"Now is not the time to play with me, Neal," Emma hissed, taking a step forward despite her better judgement. "I know all your tricks and cons," she spat out. "Stand up and tell me how you know about Henry or I'll fucking shoot you."

 

Despite the pained-sounding whimpers falling from his lips, Neal staggered to his feet. He leaned heavily against a tree with his hands semi-raised. "Not a game, Em." His skin looked gray and there was a sheen of sweat over his face that stood out as wrong as damp snow fell around them. "Lemme prove it to you." He held out one hand, his palm facing out. Even from where she stood the thick triangle shaped scarring was plain to see.

 

"What did you do to yourself?" Emma demanded, her eyes flicking back up to his face. "And what is that supposed to prove?"

 

"That this isn't natural, Emma." A groan wrenched free of him again and he fell, clutching at his head again. "There's something inside me and it's trying to get out."

 

"What?" Emma demanded. "What are you talking about?"

 

"I don't know," Neal gasped. "But that's what it feels like."

 

"We should get help," Emma said, reaching for her phone, only to see that there was no service when she unlocked it. "Damn. I'll get service and call for an ambulance," she told Neal. "I'll be right back." She had only taken a few hurried unsteady steps away before Neal screamed.

 

"Emma!" Forgetting her anger for the moment, she dropped down beside him and caught his hand in hers.

 

"I'm here," she said, trying to ignore the way those words made her feel. She had sworn that if she ever saw him again she wouldn't let him suck her back in again, but this was different. He was hurt, maybe dying and he was screaming for her. It wrenched something in her heart that she had been trying to pretend wasn't still there for years now.

 

"You have to get it out. You have to separate me," Neal panted. "Please, Emma."

 

She gripped his hand harder against the feeling of helplessness. "I can't, Neal. I don't even..." she gestured at his body with her free hand encompassing it all. "Let me call for help. Please."

 

"Just try," Neal pleaded, wrapping his fingers over hers and begging.

 

"Neal," Emma whispered, closing her eyes against his plea and searching for something, anything she knew that might help him. There's something inside me trying to get out, wasn't exactly covered in most first aid manuals. She was just about to open her eyes again and tell him that she had to go now for help. That there was nothing else she could when she felt something, like an idea on the tip of her tongue but more substantial. It was so close... almost there... A wave of power - force - light that shown even behind her eyelids slammed into her, throwing her back away from Neal like she was nothing more than a ragdoll. Emma hit the tree behind her hard; Her head rang with the force of the blow and left her desperately blinking to clear her vision and get her bearings.

 

"I don't think so, Missy." There was a flash of brilliant green light that made Emma recoil and struggle to throw her arm up over her eyes to shield them. It was gone just as suddenly and when it was, the man Emma had caught a glimpse of before knelt beside Neal.

 

"Baelfire," the man gasped, clutching at Neal like he was the most precious thing the man had seen. Tears tracked down his face. "Why?" he croaked, his voice broken. "Why did you do it?"

 

Neal's arm came up to curl around the back of the man's head. "I did it for you, Papa." He pulled the man closer to him. "For Henry and Emma."

 

The man shook his head, his movements jerky in his panic. "No. No, don't do this. I can save you."

 

"No," came the sharp voice of the woman Emma hadn't noticed was towering over them from several feet away. "No, you can't. Not this time." She was tall, with fair skin and curly red-gold hair. Her face was hidden in shadow. Her hand stuck out from beneath the green cloak she wore and in it she held a wicked looking knife, with strange curves and intricate embellishments. There was a word on the blade, but Emma couldn't make it out. "Come with me, Rumple." The man leaning over Neal froze, his shoulders yanked back as if someone had picked him up to draw him away. "Now," she hissed, moving the blade in her hand. It didn't seem like a threatening gesture, but the man - Rumple, Papa - staggered to his feet. He turned to the woman with an anguished look and his fingers clutched at air as if yanking something closer to him and bent over Neal.

 

"I love you, Bae," he whispered in a ragged voice, clutching Neal to him, and put his lips against Neal's ear. He murmured something so softly that Emma in her disorientation couldn't hear. There was another flash of that brilliant green light, so sudden that Emma turned away instinctively. When she looked back 'Rumple' and the woman were gone and Neal lay where he had been, barely breathing.

 

Emma forced herself to crawl closer to him, ignoring the way her head swam and the nausea that was threatening to rise up within her. "Neal," Emma croaked out, clutching at his arm, and shifted closer until she could wrap her arms around him.

 

"Hey," he murmured, one corner of his mouth tugging upward at him in a familiar smile. "It's okay."

 

"No, it isn't," Emma contradicted him. "You're dying and I can't even be mad at you. It's not fucking fair. We didn't even have a chance..." she broke off, unsure what chance she might have wanted them to have, but knowing that having that choice ripped away was the worst of all. "Henry," she choked the word, not caring now how he knew about their son, but knowing how sad he would be. "He never even got a chance."

 

Neal's hand covered hers. "Tell him I loved him," Neal begged and Emma nodded, shakily, whimpering as the motion jarred her head.

 

"I will," she forced herself to say. "I won't let him forget."

 

Neal jerked his head toward where the woman had been standing moments before. "Don't forget her either," he said, trying to force a laugh. It came out as a wet cough instead.

 

At this Emma's eyes narrowed, "I won't." She held him, rocking them both back and forth for several long moments until his breathing stopped and his eyes stared up at her lifeless and unseeing. Her fingers dug into the rough fabric of his jacket until they started to cramp and she forced them open again. Her cell phone lay on the ground several feet away and Emma reached for it, feeling nothing but numbness. She had to let go of Neal to crawl toward it. One bar. Of course it had one bar now. Tears burned in her eyes as she scooped it up and pushed send, not daring to move away from that exact spot. The cold and damp began to seep into her. She was conscious of it against her knees as they dug into the ground. It was picked up after two short rings.

 

"Ms. Swan?"

 

"I need help," Emma managed, allowing herself to sag onto her side in the damp earth. She had one last wild thought as the world started turning grey around the edges. "Don't bring Hen..."

 

* * *

 

Emma had once sworn to never again ride in the back of a cop car. At another time, she might have gotten out and walked just to prove a point, but right then she couldn't bring herself to care. She winced as her head slid down to lean against the window and was jostled with the motion of the car, but she didn't move. Instead she let her eyes fall closed and tried not to think about Sheriff Nolan in the front seat driving her away from Neal's lifeless body. They had waited until Doctor Whale had arrived before Nolan had ushered her into the car and told her that Whale would take care of the necessary preparations. Whale had spoken to her as well and several of the other first responders. Emma hadn't heard them, just the buzz and babble as they pushed her away from Neal, making it real as they told her she was done there. Only Regina had waited in silence, standing off to the side with her hands in her coat pockets, saying nothing and pushing nothing.

 

"Ms. Swan," Regina's voice was crisp from the seat beside her. Maybe it was having her in the back of the squad car with Emma that made it okay. There was no way a woman as upright and dignified as Regina Mills could be being taken into police custody. "Dr. Whale said it wouldn't be advisable for you to fall asleep again until he has a chance to examine you."

 

Emma forced herself to let out a slow breath before she responded. "I don't care." It was true; she didn't.

 

"Perhaps your son might," Regina pointed out, sounding so reasonable Emma wanted to knock her teeth down her throat.

 

If Regina's intention was to provoke her it worked. Emma shot up in her sight, her eyes flying open to glare at Regina. "Who do you think I've been thinking about? I've got to tell my kid - who was so damn upset about my engagement that he didn't even tell me. He just ran off to find his dad. And now that dad is dead and the kid never even had a chance to meet him. How am I supposed to do that, huh? Huh?" Emma slumped back in her seat as she saw Regina flinch, the reaction barely visible except for the faintest twitch around her eyes.

 

"I don't know," Regina said after a moment's silence, a moment when Emma had thought there would be no response because what could be said? "But I'll tell him with you." She reached out and put a hand on Emma's knee, the only part of Emma she could reach without moving. Her hand hovered and then brushed against her for the briefest moment before she snatched it away again.

 

Emma dropped her head back down to the glass - at least it was cool - and tried her hardest not to think, not to wish for that brief comforting weight back again. She didn't need anyone. This time Regina said nothing when her eyes fell shut. As tired as she was Emma made sure to twitch a finger or move occasionally to show her that she was still awake. It was the least she could do.

 

* * *

 

"...It'll just take a minute," Sheriff Nolan was saying when Emma realized she had drifted off the way she had promised Regina she wouldn't. She forced her eyes open and looked around, finding them back out in front of the diner. "She needs something in her stomach."

 

"What she needs, David," Regina said, slipping out her own door after him. "Is to be someplace where everyone isn't staring at her and that won't be possible in the central location for gossip in this ridiculous town. I am perfectly capable of fixing her a decent meal in my own home."

 

David lowered his voice for his response to Regina. From the inside of the car it was hard to make out what he was saying, but Emma thought she caught something about Snow. It was confusing and her head was pounding. Whale had said she didn't have a concussion, but her bell had been rung pretty good. Not good enough to forget who she was. Emma Swan didn't owe anyone anything or rely on them for help. Ducking her head down to press her forehead against the mercifully cool glance for one final moment, Emma pressed her shoulder against the door and shoved it open. She stepped out and shrugged her jacket up further around her shoulders, trying not to wince against the cold or the sudden brightness. It took her a moment to get her bearings, orienting herself in the town square, before she knew where she wanted to head. She was just about to head that way - for Henry, always for Henry - when an all too familiar voice boomed out.

 

"Swan!"

 

Emma froze, recognizing it despite only having heard it a handful of times. Pivoting one foot, she turned to face the man who had accosted her in her apartment and several times after that on the street in the city. He looked even more like a ridiculous ren fair reject now, dressed head to toe in some all leather costume with a hook where his hand should have been. "Not now," Emma muttered and turned her back on him. It was done deliberately enough that it couldn't fail to be interpreted as a hint and a pretty big one at that, that she didn't want to be disturbed.

 

"Lass, it's so good to see you back here," he said, pressing on as if he hadn't heard her, preoccupied but his own excitement. "I admit I despaired when you wouldn't take my potion, but I should have know that fate would bring you back to me and this fair town. You're a sight for sore eyes and an aching heart."  He swung his hooked arm out wide in exuberance and ducked toward her, cupping her cheek in his hand and pressing his lips against hers. Stubble scraped against her cheek and his teeth smashed into Emma's lips awkwardly. It all seemed distant and far away. She wanted him to go away. Her hands rose to his shoulders; he pressed closer. Her knee jerked up into his crotch with every ounce of force she could muster. He crumpled like used tissue paper and Emma slammed her elbow into the back of his neck, sending him to the pavement.

 

"Emma!" She heard Regina just as distantly as she had heard Hook, but she didn't recognize what was being said after that until Regina's arms were wrapped around her from behind and pulling her away from the man, her leg's still flailing out to get in one last shot. "Stop, Emma, please, stop."

 

"I told him to leave me alone," Emma hissed, rolling her shoulders in Regina's grip to throw her off, as Sheriff Nolan ran up and grabbed the man, pushing him away from Emma towards the back of the patrol car. "I told him and he still fucking kissed me. He's been stalking me and my kid, Regina. He followed us from fucking New York and he thought he could just fucking kiss me like that. I'm gonna-"

 

"Let Sheriff Nolan do his job and lock that excretable excuse for a man up," Regina cut in smoothly. "I'll do everything in my power to make certain that he won't come near you or Henry again." The absolute, deadly certainty in her voice made Emma stop short. She met Regina's gaze, locking eyes with her for a long moment. The seriousness in Regina's eyes startled her, and although she had no reason to believe that Regina could back up what she said, Emma couldn't doubt her. That look promised Regina would stop short of nothing to keep her word.

 

"You promise?" Emma wanted to hit the man again, hit him until her knuckles were bruised and bleeding and her arms ached. She wanted to hit him until her heart stopped hurting or she couldn't hit him anymore. But Henry, Henry was here alone in this strange town and no matter how much it hurt, she had to think of him. She couldn't leave him alone. It was a promise she had made him the moment she had decided to keep him. Never again.

 

"I promise, Emma," Regina said, with a tiny nod. "He won't bother you again."

 

"Thanks," Emma breathed the word more out of habit than any real feeling of thankfulness at the moment. She let herself slump back against Regina and tried to slow her breathing. She still wanted... Something occurred to her and Emma crooked a lopsided smile that she didn't really feel, turning toward Regina. "You called me Emma."

 

"It seemed appropriate, Miss Swan," Regina responded to her levity with a hint of her own, the darkness of her tone taking on what Emma realized was a teasing tone. She never would have understood it before, but she made a note of it. She would recognize it again if she heard it later.

 

Emma leaned closer; her smile turning wicked. It was preferable to thinking about... it was preferable. "Was it the violence? Did you like it?"

 

There was a moment when Emma wasn't sure what Regina would say, then Regina was so close she could feel the heat radiating from her skin and her lips were brushing against Emma's ear. "Oh yes, Miss Swan, color me impressed." She said it so dryly that it took a moment for Emma to process the words. When she did, she couldn't help it. Emma actually laughed.

 

"I'll remember that," she said, her light tone at odds with the determination that sang through her, making every muscle in her body tense as she forced herself to keep looking at Regina and not look back for that man. She didn't know why - It had taken Emma a while to recognize what Regina was doing - but Regina was acting like a lifeline for her at the moment. The people that had done that for her before, Emma could count them on one hand. It made her nervous. The thing about lifelines was that you came to depend on them to stop you from drowning and then you weren't prepared when they were ripped away. But maybe Emma could just hold on for a minute before she got her feet back underneath her. Maybe that would work.

 

* * *

 

"Dad...Dad's dead?" Henry's voice trembled as he repeated back what Emma had just told him. He looked pale and shaken and Emma couldn't blame him. She also didn't know when the kid had started calling Neal "Dad" instead of his biological father, but that didn't matter right now. Henry was in pain and there was nothing she could do to make it better.

 

"Yeah, Kid," Emma said. "I'm so sorry," she dropped down on her knees in front of him where he was sitting beside Regina on the couch. She sat on the edge, her legs crossed at the ankles and her lips pursed into a thin line. Her whole body was a study of sharp angles and extreme tension. Emma wondered if she was regretting her telling Emma they would tell Henry together. Emma regretted having to tell him at all. It wasn't fucking fair. All the kid had wanted was to meet his dad, who was crappy enough to start with, and now he would never even have that chance. Emma took Henry's hand in hers and squeezed. "I don't...I don't know what to tell you. I found him, but I think... I think he was sick or something, but there was nothing I could do. Someone..." Emma frowned as she tried to reconstruct what had happened in that jumbled, confusing blur of memories, but no matter how she put it together it didn't make sense. "We're gonna figure it out, kid." She bit her lips, wanting to promise him that much, but not certain if it was a promise she could keep. There was something crazy going on in this town; Emma knew that much - even if she couldn't piece together what it was yet.

 

Henry glanced over at Regina. "Mom-" It sounded so plaintive before he bit his words off and dropped his gaze back to Emma. He was trying so hard to still his trembling lip as he wiped at his nose with the back of his arm.

 

"Don't use your sleeve," Regina said, softly, absentmindedly, as she ducked her head to stare at her hands. Her fingers were twisted together so tightly in her lap that her knuckles were going white, Emma realized.

 

Emma started to snap at her that she was so not worried about the proper treatment of the kid's clothes or goddamn nose wiping etiquette at a time like this, but Henry sniffed and one corner of his mouth tugged up. "Right. That would be bad." The calmness in Henry's voice made Emma's heart ache even worse than it had been. She wanted to hit something again, but she had a feeling Regina wouldn't be nearly so forgiving if she slugged the expensive, pristine couch then she had been with Emma's creepy stalker.

 

"Can't have that," Emma said, mustering all the control she could to get her voice to come out without breaking mid-sentence. The kid couldn't see her fall apart. That was part of the parenting deal. She would do that later. Maybe Regina would help her get really drunk and find her something she could hit.

 

"No," Henry agreed, still playing along like it was important. "I-" He broke off when his voice cracked and started again. "I think I want to be alone right now."

 

That morning Emma had every intention of finding a room in town, or another place to stay that wouldn't mean they were under Regina's roof. No matter what the woman said, she hated feeling like they were taking advantage. More than that it felt strange to be staying in a home that wasn't her home. The impermanence of it made her itch, reminded her of her childhood in the way that in the best homes home and family and warmth had been so close, but nothing more than a cruel tease to her, ready to be yanked away in a few days or hours or weeks. But always yanked away. It didn't matter now though. She would give Henry anything he needed to get through this and staying at Regina's would give him more stability and privacy than he - they - would find at any crappy motel or bed and breakfast. "Okay, Henry," Emma said, opening her arms to him as he stood up. He flew into them without hesitation and wrapped her arms around him, squeezing with surprising strength. Emma held him back just as tightly, rocking him slightly back and forth on her feet and ignoring the awkwardness she always felt in moments like this. Dipping her head so that it was pressed against his ear, Emma whispered, "Love you." The words were just as hard as the gesture, more so even, but Henry needed to hear them and that was all that mattered.

 

Emma felt Henry nod and press his head into her shoulder for a moment. "I love you too, Mom." Then he let go and darted past her, almost but not quite running for the stair and the refuge that was the second story of Regina's mansion. Maybe he was hoping that no one could hear him cry up there. Maybe Regina had a basement where she could scream and hit things and no one could hear her there either. When she looked up Regina was watching her with something distant and indiscernible in her eyes. The hair on the back of Emma's neck prickled and Emma tensed, having no idea what was going on. Then Regina held a hand out. Emma took it with just the tips of her fingers, but let Regina help her up, waiting for... She wasn't sure what she was waiting for, but it didn't come.

 

"Sit," Regina said half-command and half-question, Emma shook her head.

 

"Don't think I can right now," she looked around the room, feeling the wild desperation welling up in her again. No, she couldn't sit right now. "I'm gonna take a walk or something." Or run. Emma's eyes flicked up to the ceiling, thinking of Henry ensconced in a room above it. "Call me if Henry-"

 

"Of course," Regina agreed. "Go. It will be fine."

 

Emma hesitated her hand on the doorframe. "It's not though, is it?" She grimaced. "The kid wanted one thing and I couldn't even do that for him. I fucked it up, Regina. Now he never gets to meet his dad."

 

Regina rose off the couch, dropping one hand to steady herself, wavering as she rose. "It doesn't seem possible now," Regina said. "But in time, with enough of it-"

 

Emma laughed, a harsh sound that echoed off the walls. "It will all magically get better? I don't think so."

 

"No," Regina agreed. "But in time he will find more and rediscover what he has now."

 

"More what?" Emma asked, confusion warring with bitterness and exhaustion.

 

"Love."

 

* * *

 

Emma was halfway down the block, hands crammed into her pockets as she strode along with long, quick strides, when her phone rang, She slipped it out of her pocket without looking, worry for Henry foremost in her mind. She was already pivoting to go back when she answered. "Swan."

 

"Hey, beautiful," a gentle, deep voice purred in her ear.

 

Emma faltered and let her breath out in a rush. "Walsh." Her pace slowed and she turned again, heading away from Regina's mansion. Her initial wave of relief was fading as quickly as it had come. She knew she would have to tell him eventually, but she couldn't bring herself to tell him about Neal now. There hadn't been time to do more than text him to let him know that she had found Henry and that he was okay. He didn't know about why they had stayed or anything else, and Emma just couldn't. Not again. "Hey." It sounded lame even to her own ears, but it was the best she could come up with. Her eyes began to burn and Emma sniffed tears back, wiping her nose - with the back of her sleave thank you very much - and walking onward.

 

"Did I catch you at a bad time?" Walsh asked, hearing something in her voice or maybe she hadn't been able to muffle the sniffles as well as she had intended.

 

Emma wanted to laugh, but didn't. If she started laughing now, she might not stop. Or worse she might start crying. "No, it's fine." Emma sniffed again and tried to pull herself together. She could do this. "I'm just out taking a little walk."

 

"Yeah?" Walsh sounded happy and hopeful, the easy going, happy-go-lucky guy he had always been. "That sounds nice. How's Henry?" Emma had the urge to scrape his ring off her finger and throw it as far as she could. Not out of some misguided love for Neal, but at the memory of who Walsh was. He was a nice, sweet, normal guy and he had no part in her life.

 

"He's..." _fucked up that his Dad's dead, sad, angry, enjoying this little vacation, hating that we got engaged, kinda weird around this random stranger lady who's life we've stumbled into_. "He's good," Emma lied, hating how easy the words came to her tongue. "You know Henry. He's a really great kid." At least that part was true.

 

"Did you ever find out what happened to him?" Walsh asked, his concern evident. There was a faint noise in the background and Emma wondered where he was.

 

"Just teenage stuff, you know," Emma said, keeping it vague. As much as she didn't want to talk about this right now, she didn't want to lock herself down into this story either. "I think he just wanted an adventure or something."

 

"Tell him to try that new pizza place next time," Walsh joked. "It's more than enough of a gastronomical challenge for anyone."

 

Emma laughed because Walsh expected it. "I'll do that."

 

Silence lingered between them as Emma ran out of words and Walsh seemed to be content to let it hang between them. Emma fidgeted picking at her nail bed on one hand.

 

"So when do you think you two will be back?" Walsh asked, breaking the silence after what felt like forever to Emma. "I miss you," his voice lowered, sweet and sexy, and Emma winced.

 

"A few days, I think. We're wrapping stuff up, but the kid's enjoying himself right now," Emma said. _Lies, lies, lies_.

 

"Are you sure that's such a good idea?" Walsh said with a laugh. "It doesn't sound much like punishment. He might try running away again sometime; it sounds like fun."

 

Emma felt sick, her stomach lurching and rebelling at Walsh's words. She barely got out, "I gotta go. Bye." Before she was bent over, throwing up into the bushes with her arm wrapped around her midsection and the other bracing her against a tree to hold her up. She threw up again and again until she sank to her knees shaking and nothing but bile would come out. She finally managed to push herself to her feet and stagger back toward Regina's.

 

Weak as Emma was it took her far longer to get back to Regina's than it had going and she stumbled, almost falling several times as she headed up the walk to the porch. Emma looked up and froze, catching sight of Henry in the second story window. It wasn't Henry that made her freeze, however. It was Regina with her arms wrapped around him and Henry leaning into her like...like two things that fit together perfectly. As often and freely as he gave her affection, Henry had never hugged her like that, clinging onto her and resting his head against her chest. His eyes were closed and he looked relaxed, like he felt completely safe and Emma hated it. Worse was the expression on Regina's face. The lines and sadness that had lingered since they had gotten there were gone. She looked not content, but certain, at peace. It transformed her in a way Emma couldn't have imagined and Emma hated that too. She shoved her way up the steps to the front door and the slammed behind her as hard as she could.

 

Emma waited a minute, her stomach lurching and aching as she paced back and forth in front of Regina's pristine couch. She had the insane urge to plop down on it, muddy booted feet and all. When no one came down, Emma started up the stairs. The soft carpeting muffled the sound of her footsteps as she made her way toward the room that Henry had claimed as his own. There were a couple of guest rooms down the hall, but the room Henry had chosen had obviously belonged to Regina's missing son. Regina hadn't said anything or seemed to mind, so Emma hadn't said anything either. Just another weird thing in this town.

 

The door to the room Henry was staying in was ajar enough that Emma could catch a glimpse of them sitting side-by-side on the bed and hear the low murmur of their voices. She made out Regina's first.

 

"...make it mean something. We won't let his death go unavenged, darling. We'll find out what's going on," Regina was saying. It was a big damn promise to be making the kid and not one Emma was sure either of them could keep. Not unless Regina was in to whatever mess this town was involved in.

 

"I know," Henry said in his trying to be brave voice. Emma risked a glance. His arms were still wrapped tightly around Regina. "But I can't lose you-" Emma couldn't make out the next few words, muffled as they were by Henry and Regina's proximity. But Emma did hear his "...love you." clearly. Her hands clenched into fists at her side and she forced herself to breathe. She had never had any competition for Henry's love before and she had no idea why she did now. Henry had barely known her for two days. It made no sense. The thought kept echoing through Emma's head as she slipped back down stairs and slumped down onto the couch. It didn't leave her alone even as she drifted off to sleep, dreaming of monsters chasing her and strange and wonderful things that could never be real.

 

* * *

 

The night was late and even in the sheriff's office it was dark. Shadows dripped from the walls, formed by the distant lights the office left on all day long. Hook had spent enough time on Neverland to develop a permanent aversion to shadows, especially ones that lingered in the dark. It discomforted him enough that he paced his cell instead of laying down to sleep. He could sleep during the day, or tomorrow in his own rooms when he freed himself from this ridiculous charge. Charming had thrown him in this brig on charges of assault and harassment, even as Hook had protested the entire time. With Emma back in Storybrooke he had assumed her memories had returned and he jolly well wanted to pick up where they had left off. There hadn't been time to make more than the barest arrangement before they had left and Hook was eager for more. He had missed her with a yearning he hadn't felt in centuries, not since he had lost his Milah, and he would do whatever it took to get her back. That was why...well, he'd made that bloody deal wasn’t it, to be with Emma and protect her? He deserved more than to be locked in this cell for love of her.

 

Hook turned to pace back across the length of his cell and jerked to halt. "What the bloody hell, woman?" Hook demanded. He hadn't even heard Zelena entered. She must have teleported into the cell with him because there hadn't been any clang of metal or click of heels. It was damn disconcerting was what it was. "You shouldn't scare a man like that."

 

"Or what, Captain?" Zelena purred, stroking her index finger down the v of his chest bared by his shirt and vest. "You'll hurt me?" She laughed like it was the most ridiculous thing she had ever heard. A peele of sound that was more crazed than anything. He jerked back from her and stumbled as he ran into the wall with nowhere to go. "Don't forget who I am, Captain," Zelena said, taking another step toward him. There was no mistaking the threat in her voice.

 

"Bit late for a visit, isn't it?" Hook asked, forcing himself to sound casual, as if he weren't concerned at all as he stared at her.

 

"Only friendly visits," Zelena countered, the hand that had rested on his chest moving until sharp nails dug into her chest. They felt more like claws than fingers and Hook wondered what he would see if he glanced down. He couldn't bring himself too. Not when her hand was over his heart and he knew the danger of witches. "But I'm not feeling very friendly, Captain. You've gotten yourself thrown in here for harassing Emma Swan when you told me you could keep her distracted and out of my way until this was done." Her face neared his as her other hand slipped up to caress his throat. "You're useless, Captain. Useless. Do you know what I do to useless things?"

 

Hook had an idea but there was no point in making this easier for her. "No idea," he managed to get out without panting or sounding terrified.

 

"I get rid of them," Zelena continued. Long fingers tightened around his throat and Hook tensed as they dug in. It was harder to breathe but she wasn't trying to choke him yet. He longed to jerk his hook up and plant it in her back. He might even get lucky and find her heart. But if she wasn't trying to kill him yet, if she was just testing him and he tried to kill her... Well, he wasn't certain he could. He didn't want to risk it unless he had no other option.

 

"Please," Hook whispered. "I can still help you. I'll be out of here by morning and I'll do what I said I would. I will. You still need me."

 

Zelena snorted and stepped back from him, letting him go in one quick motion. "No, I don't, Captain, but don't worry. I'm not going to kill you. I'm not ready to blow my cover yet. But remember this, if you let me down again, I won't be so generous." She blew him a kiss and disappeared in a whirl of green, leaving Hook to slump back against the wall of the cell and slide to the floor with his knees tucked up to his chest. There was no way in hell he was sleeping now.


	7. Chapter Six

Neal's funeral had been held at mid-morning. Rain had come down in a light drizzle the entire time and the sun had never once broken through the dark clouds. At least the weather had suited Emma's mood. There had been more people at the funeral than she would have expected. Not because Neal wasn't a friendly guy, but the man she had known had been guarded. They had supported themselves by tricking people out of their hard earned money. Making friends with the wrong person was the quickest way to ruin that. But here everyone seemed to know him. Sheriff Nolan and his wife were among the crowd. The woman - Mary Margaret - kept staring over at them. Emma wished she would stop. It was creepy and the day was already horrible enough. The old woman who ran the diner and her granddaughter - Ruby - had come. That didn't surprise Emma at all. Neal couldn't cook to save his life - even if he had been so inclined - and he and Ruby would have had a hell of a time flirting harmlessly as she brought him food. Emma smiled. She could almost see it. At the front of the crowd stood another young woman with dark hair and pale skin, looking sadder than anyone else besides Henry. Emma thought she'd heard someone call her "Belle" but she could have been wrong.

 

Regina stayed next to she and Henry the entire time, her lips pursed into a thin, disapproving line that warned others away. Emma appreciated it. She didn't think she could deal with all the false condolences and sorry-for-your-losses today. They made her skin itch and the desire to hit something lurked beneath the surface. Sheriff Nolan had approached her when they first arrived before the casket and asked if she would agree to have Hook - the man who had assaulted her the day before - there. He had mumbled something about long standing connection to Neal, like family really. Or some other complete bullshit. Neal had been like her; he had no family. Regina had taken one look at Emma's face and drawn Sheriff Nolan away. Emma hadn't heard everything Regina said, but she had caught words like, "promise" and "menace" and "complete idiot" in a dire hiss that would have made Emma laugh if she was capable of it. The look on the Sheriff's face was priceless. The one on Henry's face was killing her. His hand was wrapped around hers and was squeezing so hard Emma hoped nothing was broken.

 

Regina had come back to them and taken her place beside Henry, sandwiching him between them. Her eyes met Emma's behind Henry's back and she gave Emma the briefest nod. All taken care of. Emma nodded back in thanks. It wasn't that she couldn't deal with it, but Henry. Henry was here and the rage was too close under her skin. Neal's death was so unfair. He should have to face Henry and face her and explain, to try to given the decent, amazing kid that she'd raised a good reason for doing what he had done. The rest of the funeral past in a haze of unhurried motions broken jarringly by moments of crystal clarity that made Emma ache for Henry, for Neal, for herself.

 

They had gone back to Regina's mansion afterwards and Regina fixed lunch. Chicken and rice, even if she called it something else. Her recipe was similar to one Emma had picked up...somewhere. Maybe from one of her better foster families; Emma couldn't remember. Henry had always loved it and it had become comfort food for the two of them over the years. It was strange how Regina had managed to pick up on that, but maybe Henry had said something when Emma hadn't been in the room. Regina really seemed to dote on him. Emma couldn't blame her, but it was weird though, right? Or maybe not so weird considering Regina had lost a son of her own. Maybe Henry reminded Regina of her kid. Emma wasn't sure how to feel about that. The thought made her earlier petty jealousy of Henry’s affection for Regina seem churlish and mean spirited, but she had never had to share his affection before. There had been no other family or close friends of hers for Henry to bond with. Her son was a warm kid, but Emma wasn’t sure he had ever said those three words to anyone besides her, certainly not to Walsh or any other man in her life. And if he had said them to a girl, Emma wasn’t ready to know that either.

 

Henry had been the one to save her from the circles her brain was running around in when they sat sprawled on Regina’s sofa after lunch. Emma had offered to help with the clean up but Regina had shooed her out of the kitchen. She had said something about wanting to make sure it was done right. Emma had tried not to be offended. It wasn’t that hard when she didn’t have to do dishes though. Sitting down next to Henry had been harder. Emma had dropped on to the couch with a lack of grace that she somehow knew would have drawn a comment - or at least an arched eyebrow from Regina - and thrown an arm around Henry’s shoulders. He had tensed for a moment beside her and then snuggled in closer to her side without a word. They had sat there in silence until Henry had spoken.

 

“Can we go to the park this afternoon?” His voice was muffled, but the words were clear and plain, not choked with emotion or the effort it took to hide it. Emma wondered what this meant, but wasn’t sure how to ask it.

 

“Sure, kid.” Anything you want. Emma squeezed him a little closer. “Later we need to talk about what I’m going to do next.”

 

Henry stiffened and sat up before he turned to look at her. “What do you mean?”

 

Emma bit her lip and looked down. She shouldn’t have said anything. She picked at the hangnail on the side of her thumb. It was raw and red already and if she wasn’t careful it would start to bleed. She made an effort to chose her words with care. “What you came here to do is… done.”

 

Henry blanched and shot off the couch. “Emma!”

 

The use of her first name startled her and the, “Hey!” shot out of Emma’s mouth before she could contain it.

 

Silence crackled between them like a livewire. Both of them hardly dared to breathe and neither of them knew where to go from there. Emma swallowed hard. “We should talk about this later.”

 

“No!” Henry blurted out, his voice too loud in the quiet of Regina’s living room. “We need to talk about it now.”

 

“Henry…” Emma began, but trailed off. The words not having come to her in the last few seconds.

 

“No!” Henry protested again. “Say it.”

 

“We could go home,” Emma said, putting the words out there like they meant nothing to her. It wasn’t that she was so eager to return to the city, but her skin was starting to itch with being here. There was nothing good here and she didn’t want to stay any longer than they had to. She wanted to go before anything else happened to the two of them. Emma’s need to protect Henry had always been stronger than everything else and that was why she kept talking. “Or we could stay longer and I could try to find out why…” she fumbled for a delicate way to say _he died_ and couldn’t. “Just..why.”

 

Fear flickered across Henry’s expressive face before it was buried behind as blank of a mask as he could manage. It looked so strange when Henry usually wore his heart on his sleeve. “I’m not ready to go home yet,” Henry said as he shifted on his feet. He looked at her like he was expecting her to be angry. Emma didn’t know what to say to that, so she shrugged.

 

“Okay. So we go to the park this afternoon and then we figure out the rest tomorrow.” She held her arms out to Henry and for the first time in her life she wasn’t sure he would return the embrace. She caught his hesitation before he lurched forward and wrapped his arms around her. Out of the corner of her eye, Emma caught a glimpse of a dark figure and turned her head to see Regina leaning against the kitchen doorway watching them. Her arms were crossed over her chest, but Emma couldn’t decipher the expression on her face. She gave Emma a tight nod when she caught Emma’s eyes on hers then turned and slipped back into the kitchen.

 

* * *

The weather had improved when they reached the park. The drizzle had stopped but darkness still hung over everything as Emma went to park the Beetle. The thudding sound of quick footfalls came from behind Regina as Henry jogged a few steps to catch up with her. It startled her when Henry grabbed her hand in his. She couldn’t remember the last time he had reached out to her first; it had been years. She gave his hand a squeeze and tried to smile at him. “How are you, Sweetheart?” They only had a few moments before Emma would be back.

 

“Mama.” Henry hadn’t called her that in a very long time either. Not since he had run into she and Emma’s arms as Pan’s curse was about to bear down on them all. “She wants to go back to the city.” He sounded worried and scared. It clenched like a vice around Regina’s heart.

 

“Maybe…” The words burned like acid in Regina’s throat. “Maybe you should, just for a time.”

 

Startled, Henry dropped her hand. “No way!” His eyes red-rimmed from the funeral that morning watered on the verge of tears. Henry’s hands clenched at his sides in a clear effort to hold them back. “Is that what you want?”

 

“No!” Regina said as sharply as he had. “It’s not what I want at all, but it would be safer for you. There’s no magic there. Whatever this creature is that’s been stalking Storybrooke has been taking people for weeks now and we haven’t found a way to stop it. Baelfire is dead and if I can be certain that you’re somewhere safe where that creature can’t touch you… The moment you go beyond the town line, you’ll be safe.”

 

Henry shook his head emphatically. “You can protect me.”

 

“Henry,” Regina said softly. “I don’t even know what it is. I’m not all powerful.”

 

“Please, Mom,” Henry begged. “Don’t send me away. I don’t want to go.” He bit his lip to stop it from trembling and added, “What if I can’t come back? Emma’s not going to let me out of her sight for a long time. What if there’s another curse and Storybrooke disappears again? What if Emma never remembers? Staying here is the only way to get her memories back. I want both my moms.” His jaw clenched stubbornly and reminded Regina of nothing more than herself in that moment.

 

The side of Regina that knew that leaving would be the safest thing for Henry to do warred with the one that didn’t ever want to let him out of her sight again either. It was hard to blame Emma for that. “Okay, Henry. We’ll convince Emma to stay for now.” _However she was going to manage that_. “But if it becomes too dangerous…” She cupped his cheek in her hand and wished she wasn’t wearing gloves so she could feel the reassuring warmth of his skin. How many dreams had she had like this of finding her son only to have him fade away before her, no more real than any other figment of her imagination. “You may have to leave and I won’t brook any argument then.”

 

“Okay,” Henry said, slipping his arms around her waist and falling against her heavily. Her baby was getting so tall. “We’ll just have to make sure it doesn’t happen.”

 

Above him out of his sight, Regina smiled with pride even as she shook her head as his determination. He was so much _their_ son it was ridiculous.

 

Henry was just drawing away from her again when Emma’s voice came from behind them, “Hey! Everything okay?”

 

Regina let go and turned to face Emma, noting Emma’s hands shoved in her pockets and the wariness in her eyes as she approached them. She recognized the expression well. After all she had worn it for months when Emma had first come to Storybrooke, with perhaps more rage and indignation at what Emma had been threatening to do. She never had done well with a challenge.

 

* * *

It had taken longer than Emma had expected to find a decent parking spot for the Beetle. For a town that was under such a shadow, both literally and metaphorically, it seemed a lot of people were out at the park. Maybe it was a defiant response to the disappearances that threatened the town. Everyone banded together and came out in the relative safety of daylight to defy whoever was behind them. It made no sense to Emma though. She had heard no mention of organized crime or anything like that that would make Storybrooke a target for disappearances like that. No one here was wealthy enough for it to be a kidnapping ring and as far as Emma knew there had been no ransom demands. There were other darker explanations. Serial killers developed everywhere even in tiny towns in Maine. Why the sheriff hadn’t called in the state police was a mystery to Emma. Maybe he was just that bad at his job? It didn’t matter. If things kept getting worse, no matter what Henry wanted, they would go home. She wouldn’t risk losing Henry.

 

Walking up the gentle slope of the hill in the direction Emma had seen Regina and Henry go, she caught sight of them. Henry had his arms wrapped around Regina, pressed tightly against her. What struck Emma a moment before the burning jealousy was the way they looked so right together. Something about Henry and Regina together just fit in a way that she couldn’t explain. It wasn’t until Henry began to step back from Regina that Emma noticed how upset he seemed.

 

She shoved her hands in her pockets and swallowed the resentment that had been welling up in her to stride toward them. “Hey! Everything okay?” Her first instinct was to go up to him and throw an arm over his shoulders, maybe tousle her hair, but Emma couldn’t bring herself to. He had gone to Regina not her. There was something Henry was holding back from her. Emma wasn’t an idiot. She had noticed it over the past two days, but she had no idea what it was and her instincts told her it would be bad if she pressed too much. Even if the not knowing was driving her crazy with worry. They had always been an inseparable team, she and Henry.

 

“Yeah, Mom,” Henry said, straightening quickly and tucking his hands up under his arms. He had forgotten his gloves again, of course. “We were just talking.” He glanced at Regina and seemed to be looking for something.

 

Regina smiled sadly back at him then turned back to Emma. “I was telling Henry about my father.” Emma didn’t miss the way Henry’s eyes flicked up sharply to Regina. Emma would bet her right hand that wasn’t what they had been talking about. “I lost him many years ago.” The quiet emotion in Regina’s voice wasn’t bullshit at all though.

 

“That sucks,” Emma said with as much sympathy as she could muster. Having never had parents to begin with it was hard to feel sad over the thought of losing them. She understood it, but it was a distant way.

 

“Indeed,” Regina said dryly, the emotion gone from her voice, as if she knew what Emma was thinking. It made Emma want to flush in embarrassment, but there was no way that Regina could know about her past. Not unless Henry had told her...

 

“Mom,” Henry said. Emma saw Regina turn to look at Henry at the same side she did.

 

“Yeah, kid?” Emma asked, struggling to keep her voice even.

“I’m going to go feed the ducks down by the pond, okay?” Henry said, hands shoved in his pockets as he backed away. It wasn’t often that Emma thought Henry looked like her. He was his only little person, but he did so much in that moment that Emma couldn’t help the smile that tugged up on her lips.

 

“Sure, kid.” Emma waited until he had jogged out of earshot, before turning to grin over at Regina. “Definitely interested in the ducks, not the girl down there that kept shooting glances up here at him at all.”

 

Regina chuckled, but it sounded a little forced. “I hadn’t noticed.”

 

Emma shrugged. “It’s a mom thing.”

 

Regina flinched and gave a little nod. Emma opened her mouth to say something, but Regina beat her to it. “There’s a bench over there,” she tipped her head in its direction. “Unless you’d rather stand or walk. This park has some lovely paths.”

 

Emma shook her head. “The bench is fine. I had enough walking yesterday.” She wrinkled her nose. “There’s so much forest around here.”

 

“I take it you’re not a nature person, Miss Swan,” Regina said, a teasing smile curving over her lips.

 

“Something like that,” Emma said with a soft snort. She plucked at a blade of grass that was sticking up through the frame of the bench. “It was Emma yesterday.”

 

“Yes,” Regina agreed, looking startled for a moment that Emma would bring that up. She probably thought Emma hadn’t even noticed it, but the word had cracked like lightning, shivering over her skin.

 

“You can keep using it,” Emma said grinning fully at Regina now. “I don’t mind.”

 

“You’re too kind, Miss Swan,” Regina said with that same dryness from a moment ago. “I make no promises.”

 

Emma laughed. “Do I have to offer some incentives to get you to use it, Madame Mayor?” Emma saw Regina stiffen, but couldn’t figure out what she had said. Maybe someone had accused Regina of taking a bribe before? But that was ridiculous. Emma could already tell Regina was one of the most upright individuals that she’d met in public office.

 

“Perhaps you can just promise not to call me that again,” Regina suggested.

 

“Awww,” Emma said with as much irritating charm as she could muster. “You want us to be on a first name basis too.”

 

“Ms. Mills will be fine, dear,” Regina corrected, not quite burying her irritation. But Emma thought she was more amused than truly upset. Regina’s default seemed to be prickly with anyone but Henry. It was an interesting thought. Emma was almost a little jealous of Henry. She did her best to ignore the thought. She wasn’t hear to socialize.

 

“She is,” Emma murmured before she could stop herself. She felt her cheeks grow warm and tried not to look at Regina. Maybe she wouldn’t notice what Emma had said.

 

“I wasn’t for quite some time after I lost my son,” Regina said, thankfully taking Emma’s words literally, or at least ignoring what Emma might have meant. She wasn’t smiling now. “It’s okay, not to be for a while.”

 

Emma wrinkled her nose. "It's not like I've seen Neal since-" she bit off 'he ditched me to take the fall for him.' Emma wasn't ready to see that look on Regina's face, the one that was a mix of pity and contempt. "Since before Henry was born. I shouldn't' even be sad." She looked up at Regina, silently daring her to say something. "He kind of screwed me over and he was never a dad to Henry. I had no idea the kid even thought about him, much less wanted to meet him."

 

There was a pause. Regina's fingers twitched like she might reach out to Emma as she had in the back of the patrol car. Emma wasn't sure she could handle it, but all Regina did was offer her a sad smile and say, "You're a good mother, Emma."

 

It was the combination of her name from Regina's lips - which was quickly becoming something Emma aspired to achieve - and the words that seemed out of context but Emma hadn't realized how badly she needed to hear that hit Emma like a blow straight to the heart. "Thanks," Emma said, the word snapping out of her mouth so shortly, she knew it would sound rude. She hoped Regina might get it - might understand that she really meant it - as Emma felt her cheeks grow warm with embarrassment. She couldn't bring herself to look over at Regina so instead glanced out across the park. Sheriff Nolan and his very pregnant wife were walking along on the far path, separated from them by the pond and another gently rolling hill. There was another woman walking with them. She wore a green cloak against the chill and damp, but Emma couldn't' make you more than that from this distance. There was something about her that looked familiar though. Maybe Emma had seen her at the diner.

 

Emma grimaced as she thought of the diner and her encounter with the sheriff's pastel wearing wife. There were a lot of strange things about this town, Emma was realizing. Lots of little things seemed outdated, from the prices on Granny's menu to Regina's car and even the decades old movies playing at the drive in. Not to mention the drive in or the gang of short, old men she had seen walking down the street with pick axes slung over their shoulders yesterday, whistling as they went. Not to mention the woman with the motherfucking tiger. "This town is so weird," Emma said, turning back to Regina, forgetting that she was still embarrassed by Regina's kind statement. "It's like it's under a spell or something."

 

Regina froze and Emma remembered too late that she was speaking to the Mayor of this tiny, crazy place, and Regina probably wouldn't take too kindly to her town being insulted. Emma wasn't wrong. Regina's smile slid away. "We're just a small sleepy town like many others in Maine. Perhaps stranger than some because of our isolation out here in the forest, but not so odd as all that. I think I would find your city very strange, Miss Swan."

 

Damn, Emma bit back the word, but not the thought. She had lost her first name privileges again - and so quickly. That was okay. She could win them back. Emma laughed, hoping it came out less awkward than it had sounded in her own ears. Probably not. "I'd be happy to show you around my city sometime." Regina didn't respond so Emma plowed on. "You might have to come back with us actually," Emma said. "When we do go. I'm not sure the kid would leave without you. He's really fond of you and you're really good with him." Emma felt herself babbling, but couldn't make herself stop. "Maybe he's under a spell too."

 

Emma risked another glance at Regina. Her usually warm skin was pale and she sat stiffly with her fingers twisted together in her lap as she stared out over the pond. Somehow Emma just knew Regina's gaze had found Henry down there.

 

"He reminds me of my son." Regina had said it before, but it hit Emma harder this time, not distracted by the immediacy of finding Henry again.

 

"I'm sorry," Emma said and surprised herself by reaching out to put her hand over Regina's. Her fingers were cold. Without thinking Emma rubbed her thumb over Regina's fingers, like she would to warm up Henry's. When she realized what she was doing, she gave Regina's hand a hurried, fumbled squeeze and yanked her hand away. "I almost gave Henry up for adoption when he was born," Emma blurted out. It was her day for sharing things she hadn't thought she would in a million years apparently.

 

"I was-" Emma's voice trembled and she shook her head. "I wasn't in a good place when he was born and I didn't think I could give him his best chance with me." She sniffed, pretending that there weren't tears welling up in her eyes. "But there was this doctor. He asked me I wanted to hold Henry. I hated him so much because he didn't get it. He didn't understand. I opened my mouth to say no, and I just didn't." The smile Emma tried out turned into a grimace. "The first time I held him in my arms, I knew there was no way I could give him up."

 

"What about giving him his best chance?" Regina asked, her voice choked and hoarse as she broke into the silence that had grown between them. Emma's head snapped up at the question, but the look on Regina's face wasn't judgemental. She was focused inward instead. Maybe Regina was thinking of her son.

 

Emma shrugged as if that question hadn't on her too when Henry was a baby. "I thought if I wasn't his best chance right then, I would do everything I could to become it. I took every parenting class I could and I tried. I got lucky a lot." Emma looked down. "I didn't always do the best, but I never stopped trying for Henry." When Emma finally looked, Regina was nodding, her face a mask of determination. Something prodded Emma to ask - maybe the realization that she didn't know - and somehow that seemed wrong, just to call the child 'your son' and not know his name. Emma Swan knew no child should be forgotten. "What was his name - your son?"

 

Regina gave her a pained smile, meeting Emma's gaze without flinching. "Henry."

 

"Oh! Shit, Regina," Emma breathed, the enormity of what the woman had been dealing with for the past few days and the way every glimpse of Henry or mention of his name must have been like salt in Regina's wound slowly dawned on Emma in its entirety. "I'm so sorry. If I'd known, we never would have intruded," Emma babbled. "We'll be out of there this afternoon. I promise."

 

"No, please," Regina said, her hand shooting out to catch Emma's. "Don't go." The desperation in Regina's voice was plain. "You have no idea how having you two here in the house has helped. Last year was a very dark time. It's nice to have some light there."

 

Emma hesitated. "Are you sure? You've done so much for both me and Henry already."

 

Regina nodded. I"m sure." There was so much vulnerability in her gaze as she looked at Emma. "If you really feel that way, do this for me." Regina tried to smile again. "Until you're ready to go back home, of course."

 

It surprised Emma that she found herself not wanting to go home in that moment. Regina's invitation felt welcome, not constraining. "Okay," Emma said, feeling her smile grow as she looked over at Regina. "We'll stay. And I was serious earlier.  When we go home you could come visit us sometime. The kid would like that - and so would I," Emma said, adding that final truth shyly.

 

Regina's tremulous smile outshone even the most glorious sunset Emma had ever seen. "I would like that," Regina agreed.

 

Emma let out a relieved laugh and sagged against the back of the bench next to Regina. Their shoulders brushed. "Cool."

 

It was Regina's turn to let out a laugh, low, rich and mocking. "Cool, Ms. Swan?"

 

Emma nudged Regina with her shoulder. "Don't make fun of me. You like me." Emma wasn't sure of it, but she said it with confidence, drawling pride anyway.

 

Regina shook her head, but she was still smiling at Emma. "I suppose I do."

 

Emma managed to keep her "Yes!" and fistpump of victory on the inside this time. Instead she found her gaze dropping from Regina's dark, sparkling eyes to full, red lips. The thin scar above her lips caught Emma's attention and she almost blurted out a question about it, but managed to swallow it back at the last moment. Emma shivered. "There's really something about this place, you know." She eyed Regina, drawn closer to her with every breath she took. "Are you sure about that spell thing? I think there must be one on me too, not just the kid. I never talk...like this...to anyone." Staring at Regina as she spoke, Emma kept losing her train of thought and barely calling it back again. It would have been embarrassing except for the way Regina was watching her back just as intently.

 

Emma raised her hand slowly as she held Regina's gaze, waiting for an objection, any sign Regina wanted her to stop. Regina arched an eyebrow and Emma froze, but then the corner of her lips turned up into a smile and Emma could breathe again.

 

"Yeah?" Emma's voice came out rough, but that wasn't surprising. The things Regina was doing to her right now with nothing more than a look and a smile.

 

"Yes," Regina said with a  tiny nod.

 

Emma cupped her cheek and brushed her thumb across Regina's lips. They were soft and a little slick from her lipstick. She wanted so badly to kiss Regina Mills and there would only be one first chance at it. Keeping her eyes on Regina's, Emma tilted her head and leaned in, anticipation fluttering her stomach. Their lips met and Emma sighed. She couldn't hold it in as Regina's moved against her, soft and slow. There was something careful, but not uncertain about the way that Regina moved that tugged at Emma. She wanted to deepen the kiss. She wanted... Regina's hand gripped her hip, her thumb finding it's way under the thin material of Emma's t-shirt as it stroked upwards. Emma almost purred against Regina's lips, melting into her.

 

"Mom!" Both women jerked back so quickly Emma almost fell off the bench. "Mom!" Henry repeated, head down as he jogged up the sloping hill toward them from the pond.

 

Emma shot a glance over at Regina as Henry approached, but Regina was focused on Henry. She looked not the least bit flustered. Her expression was as unreadable as it ever had been for Emma. There was no chance to talk now, to decide where they stood or what this meant, if anything. For now Emma needed her racing heart to slow before Henry realized she was breathing harder than she should have been sitting on a bench and started to worry about her. It _had_ been one hell of a kiss.

 

* * *

The walking path that circled the park had allowed Zelena to keep an eye on her dear sister and the clueless savior for most of their walk. Charming and Snow were inane, but clueless companions and it gave Zelena the opportunity to keep an eye on her soon to be born, pure, innocent, true-love baby. What she hadn't expected to see was the Savior _kissing_ Zelena's own dear baby sis. What was the Savior playing at?

 

Hook had claimed that he was the Savior's True Love when one of her winged monkeys had followed the note the Dark One's pathetic boy had sent to Hook to get Emma Swan and bring her back to Storybrooke. Zelena had intercepted him, of course. Light magic was what it took to break her curse, after all. It wouldn't do to have the Savior and her magic in play. That Hook was the Savior's True Love was a ridiculous theory, of course. Zelena had known men like Hook in her own village, in the tavern where she had worked. No matter the pretty words men like Hook said, they only cared for themselves. Some were more stubborn about their pursuit than others, priding themselves on not giving up on the woman they loved, but they were all the same in the end. When they didn't feel like they were being properly honored by the object of their affections, they snapped and turned violent with all the obsessive focus and dedication of their so-called love.

 

So there had been no harm in letting Hook try. It put him on her side and gave her control over his attempt to bring back the Savior. And just in case, Walsh was there as her beautiful back up plan. So far it was working wonderfully, but Zelena had doubts that it would last. Still it would soon be time to put her spell into play and before Zelena went back to fix everything, she wanted Regina to know and understand what Zelena was doing and why. She wanted her dear sister to appreciate the full horror of what was being done to her and everyone she loved. Zelena didn't want Regina to have any friends or allies who might try to help her. It was time to take the Savior away. There was a phone call she needed to make - delightful inventions phones. She could see why Regina liked this world so much. Phones aided her plotting ever so.

 

 


	8. Chapter Seven

Regina sat in her study, a glass of “something stronger” in her hand, with her legs crossed at the knee. She was alone. It was late and she was the only one still awake. Emma had gone to bed around the same time Henry had, never coming back downstairs after she had gone up to make certain that his teeth were brushed. Regina hadn’t been waiting for her exactly, but they hadn’t spoken - really spoken - to each other since it had happened. Emma wouldn’t even meet her eye, looking somewhere just over Regina’s shoulder or over her head. Once she had even caught Emma looking below her eyes, significantly below. Regina had arched an eyebrow and when that had gone unnoticed, given a little cough. Emma’s eyes had snapped up and upon realizing that Regina had seen her, flushed all the way to the roots of her hair. After that, Emma had avoided her even more studiously.

 

There was a sharp, rapid knock at Regina’s door, muffled by the thick walls of Regina’s study. Setting her glass down with reluctance, Regina rose to answer it as she tried to ignore the exhaustion that had taken up residence deep in her bones. Before she had crossed the small distance between her study and the front door, the knock intensified into quick staccato bursts that wouldn’t let up. With a glance toward the top of the stairs to see if this rude disturbance had woken Emma or Henry, Regina covered the last few steps quickly. She flipped the locks and yanked the door open, her other hand held low at her side, with her fingers curled up, ready to summon a ball of fire to her fingertips at an instant’s notice.

 

“Snow?” Regina hissed taking in the woman before her. “What in the hell are you doing here at this hour of the evening?” She scanned the darkness beyond Snow for any movement even as she caught Snow’s wrist and pulled her into the house. “There is something out there taking people and you thought it would be safe to stroll over here alone? Where is David?” she snapped, seeing no one and shutting the door behind Snow. She threw the locks as she waited for Snow’s explanation.

 

“David is at home,” Snow said, sounding very much like the teenager she had been when her father had denied her permission to go to a ball neighboring kingdom, fearing the journey might be too dangerous with the bandits that had become more and more fearless, even attacking carriages with the king’s crest on them. “And I can take care of myself.”

 

“No, you can’t,” countered Regina. “You can barely maintain your balance standing still.” She was irritated because Snow was being an idiot, not because she cared. Because she didn’t, not at all. “I repeat, why are you here?”

 

Snow drew herself up, or attempted to, but standing almost as wide as she was tall now, the gesture failed to deliver the impact she was looking for. Snow didn’t let it stop her. “I saw you! You were kissing my daughter.”

 

“Quiet,” Regina snapped. “Don’t be a fool.” She glanced toward the stairs again, hoping against hope that both Emma and Henry still slept. When she saw no one at the head of the stairs, she grabbed Snow’s forearm and drew her into her study, keeping a firm grip on her until Regina had shut the door behind them. Not convinced that precaution was sufficient, Regina cast a spell over the room to prevent anyone from eavesdropping. "Where is David?" Regina demanded. Surely he wouldn't be fool enough to allow Snow to come alone if he had known she was coming. Either he didn't know or he had followed Snow without her consent and that meant Regina needed to keep an ear out for the Charming idiot before he was caught up in the disappearances as well.

 

"Sleeping," Snow said, folding her arms over her chest. "He didn't see you kissing Emma today."

 

"And you managed not to tell him?" Regina murmured, raising her brows in mocking, stunned surprise.

 

Snow ignored her and focused her best dissapointed teacher expression on Regina instead. Regina hoped Snow wasn't counting on that to have any effect on her. "What were you thinking, Regina? She doesn't have any of her memories."

 

"You think I don't know that," Regina murmured, stepping back from Snow to collect her drink. "I-"

 

But Snow didn't let her finish what she was about to say. Hey eyes widened and she stared at Regina in bewilderment, comprehension rolling over her expressive features. She took a step closer to Regina and laid a hand on her arm. "Or is that what you were trying to fix, like Hook." Snow's brows furrowed. "Were the two of you together and we didn't know?" Her nose wrinkled and she looked grossed out. "I always thought there was something more than Henry between the two of you when Emma first came to Storybrooke. The way you fought was so..." She shook her head resolutely. "I don't want to know, but you two... you were in love?" She stared at Regina as if she had never seen her before. "Is that why you gave she and Henry those memories, a happy, wonderful life together? You wanted her to know what it was like to raise Henry. Oh, Regina!" She clutched Regina's arm tighter now and whatever utter shock this insane theory had provoked in Regina and stunned into silence was wearing off rapidly. "Were you trying True Love's Kiss to bring her memories back?"

 

"Enough, Snow!" Regina snapped, controlling herself enough not to push Snow away from her. As irritated as she was at Snow for making all these assumptions - and just how had she jumped from one kiss to true love  in an instant - the woman's balance was too tentative at the moment to handle that. She took a careful step back instead, and yanked her arm away. "I can't believe I have to say this, but there was nothing going on between Emma and I before she left Storybrooke." At Snow's triumphant look, Regina rolled her eyes. "And there is nothing going on now either. Do I need to repeat that again so you'll understand me?"

 

"But I saw-"

 

Regina froze. Icy anger gripped her as she flashed back to another incident Snow had overseen. "Yes, dear," she purred silkily, stepping forward into Snow's space until there was only a breath of space between her and the swollen belly that preceded Snow. "And when you oversee things that are none of your business you immediately know every detail of that situation, do you not?"

 

For the first time, Snow faltered, her face going pale so abruptly that even in her anger, Regina shot out a hand to catch her. With only the pressure of her fingers on Snow's elbow, Regina guided Snow over to the couch and seated her on it before she paced away.

 

"I'm sorry," Snow whispered in a tiny voice. "I shouldn't have..."

 

"No, you shouldn't have," Regina said and paused to throw back the rest of the amber liquid in her tumbler. Then crossed the room to refill it. "But at least this time you haven't done anything I might regret?"

 

She glanced back to Snow and was reassured by a firm, quick, "No! No one knows."

 

"Good," Regina said. "I intend for it to remain that way." She took a deep breath. "I don't owe you any explanation."

 

"No," Snow said. "I suppose you don't, but Emma-"

 

"Isn't Emma right now," Regina cut her off. "You think I'm not aware of that, Snow? More than anyone except Henry." She shook her head. "We were almost friends in a strange way and now that woman isn't there. She remembers nothing of what we were or the things we had been through together. I miss her." The words were hard to say, even to Snow, talking like this where it was almost like talking to herself. "That doesn't mean I would do anything to take advantage of Emma. Now, or ever. We've fought many times and we may yet again someday, but it's always been a fair fight. I won't change that now. She kissed me." She looked back at Snow and wondered if the self-loathing and pain she felt was as evident on her face as it felt. Surely not. She had become far better at hiding her feelings than that, Leopold's one gift to her. "Is that good enough for you, Snow?"

 

"Yes, Regina," Snow said, still sounding like a small, chastised child. It was more irritating than the righteous fury that she had swept into Regina's home with.

 

"Good," Regina murmured, feeling anything but. "I'll call David to come get you," And swept out of the room to run into Emma, leaning against the wall as if she owned the place, her arms crossed casually over her chest. "Emma!" Regina exclaimed in horror, then relaxed as she remembered the spell she had cast over the room to muffle sound. There was no way Emma would have been able to tell what they were arguing about. "I thought you were asleep," Regina said, easing back from Emma, who had reached out instinctively to steady Regina and herself when Regina had crashed into her. The way her fingers slid down Regina's bare arms made her shiver.

 

Emma shrugged. "I heard noises. It sounded like an argument, so I came to check and make sure everything was okay." She was still refusing to meet Regina's gaze.

 

"Everything's fine," Regina said, as she shook off whatever surge of feelings Emma's hands on her had sent reeling through her body. "But you may not wish to go in the study. Mary Margaret Blanchard came over to speak to me. I was going to call David to come get her now." Emma had let go of her completely now. It shouldn't feel so disappointing.

 

"What did she want?" Emma said, looking concerned. "I didn't know the two of you were friends."

 

"We aren't," Regina said and knew even as she did that the words were a lie, whether she would admit it or not. Or perhaps it was more than that. They would never be the mother and daughter Snow had always so desperately wanted them to be, but they were something. Family. Even if there were times she still loathed Snow. Like now. Regina sighed. She would have to explain and she didn't want to. "I was married to Snow's father when I was very young," Regina admitted. "Sometimes it causes Snow to think of me as a mother figure. I never shared the sentiment, but there are times she forgets that." Regina grimace. "I suppose I was too adept at playing the part."

 

"You married Snow's dad?" Emma said, her eyebrows shooting up. "You're barely older than she is."

 

"Yes, well, it wasn't my choice," Regina snapped defensively. "My mother-" She bit the words off her words. It wouldn't make sense in the context of this world, not the way it had been meant to in the Enchanted Forest. It wasn't always easy here for women, but there she'd had no choice at all. "It doesn't matter. What's done is done. Excuse me, I need to call David before he wakes and worries."

 

"Regina," Emma called as Regina swept past her. When Regina hesitated, Emma held her hands out low at her sides and shrugged with one shoulder. "I'm sorry. It was none of my business. It sounds really fucked up but I shouldn't have made it sound like I'm judging. I've made enough shitty life choices. I don't throw stones at other people for what they do with their life." Her voice softened. "Especially not if it wasn't their choice."

 

Something that wasn't irritation was threatening to break free from the protective fury that was wrapped around Regina. She nodded once, sharp and quick, and then swept past Emma before it could.

 

* * *

Breakfast the next morning was a subdued affair. Regina had bought groceries so there was no need to venture out to Granny's. She was happy to have a chance to fix all of Henry's favorites. Henry who was still far too quiet with his face buried in one of his comics. Regina hoped Emma wasn't observant enough to notice it wasn't one that he had brought with him, but one of his favorite old issues that had resided for years on the bookshelf at the end of his bed. He reread it when he was feeling sad and needed a boost. Regina touched his shoulder as she set plates down in front of he and Emma. Henry smiled back up at her in appreciation, but his eyes still looked sad and reddened, as if he hadn't slept well the night before or had been crying. Regina wished she could ask. Instead she nudged his chin up with one crooked finger and gave him the smile that only the two of them had ever shared. "It will be okay," she said quietly. Regina hadn't forgotten that Emma was sitting there, but Henry needed her and she wouldn't let him down again.

 

"Thanks," he said softly, clamping his mouth shut a little too abruptly on what she suspected would have been a carelessly tossed off, "Mom." The words didn't matter though, because Henry threw his arms around her and hugged her right there at the table. Regina swallowed her automatic response to admonish him that this wasn't table manners and held him back, lightly stroking one hand through his hair until he let her go.

 

"This is really good, R'gina," Emma mumbled around a mouth full of food. "How did you learn to make hashbrowns like this?"

 

"Cooking shows, dear," Regina answered as she turned back to the stove to retrieve her own plate. She needed a moment to collect herself.

 

"Well, it's awesome. I make pretty mean scrambled eggs, but nothing like this. Your french toast is light, fluffy and crunchy." Emma poked at the delectable in question before shaking her head and carving off another huge bite with her fork and shoving it in her mouth.

 

There was a loud knock on the door before Regina could reply. Henry shot out of his seat and bolted towards the front door, with a shout of "I'll get it!" trailing him.

 

"I don't think-" Regina began.

 

"It'll be fine," Emma said. "I know there's some crazy stuff going on in town right now, but he should be fine in broad daylight, right?"

 

"Of course," Regina said and wished fervently she believed that.

 

"Mom!" Henry bellowed from the front door. "It's for you!"

 

Regina rose just as Emma slipped off her stool and called, "Coming, kid. Maybe it's one of the people I interviewed the other day," she said, as an aside to Regina. "Maybe they remembered something."

 

"Perhaps," Regina agreed noncommittally and sank back to her seat. It hadn't been her Henry was calling. It didn't sting, or it shouldn't. There were appearances to maintain, of course, but she didn’t have to like it.

 

"Stay and finish eating," Emma said, when she noticed that Regina had risen. "You cooked all this for us. You should have a chance to enjoy it too." She flashed Regina a smile and actually met Regina's eyes for half a second before she ducked her head and dumped her plate in the sink, then went out to the foyer.

 

Regina was pushing her eggs around on her plate when she heard Emma happy cry. "Walsh!"

 

The fiance. Henry had told Regina his name the other day. Without another bite, Regina rose, scraped her plate off into the garbage and began the dishes.

 

* * *

"What are you doing here?" Emma blurted out in shock even as her body leaned into Walsh's hug on autopilot and turned her head to catch a quick kiss. His lips, dry and chapped, brushed across hers and Emma drew back to stand beside Henry, who was still holding the door. She dropped her arm over his shoulder and stuffed her free hand, the left one, the one without a ring on it, into her back pocket. It was a work thing, and she was here working. In Emma's line of work, it wasn't smart to flash around information about your relationship status or tempt an otherwise not upstanding citizen into jumping the bail bondsperson for a quick pay day. Walsh wouldn't understand though. She'd have to talk to him later. Until then, maybe she could just slip it back on before he noticed it wasn't there.

 

"I heard you were having a rough time of it," Walsh said, reaching out to ruffle Henry's hair affectionately. "And I thought maybe I could come cheer up two of my favorite people." He grinned at Emma. "I hope you don't mind."

 

What could Emma say to that? Walsh was a sweet man and it was a really sweet gesture. "Of course not. I had some work to do today. I need to follow up on a few things, but..."

 

"Just give me a few hours," Walsh turned up the winning smile a few notches. "It'll make your whole day better, I promise."

 

"Okay," Emma said against her better judgement. A day had already passed without the chance to look into Neal's death, but Henry had needed her. He always came first. This town was starting to get under Emma's skin. She wanted to find out what had happened to Neal. She suspected they were related to Neal's death and get back to the relative safety of the city with Henry. Most of all Emma wanted things to go back to normal. "What about you, Kid?" Emma asked, squeezing his shoulders in a gentle hug. "You up for some fun?"

 

Henry shook his head. "You go ahead. I think I'm going to stay here and read for a little while."

 

"Henry," Emma said pleadingly. She let her arm slip from around his shoulder as he stepped away from her. "Come on, kid. It might do you good to get out."

 

"Do I have to, Mom?" Henry asked. He wasn't being rude, but it was plain that he didn't want to go.

 

"No, you don't have to," Emma said. More and more it seemed like she had no idea what was going on with him these days. It hurt. Emma knew the teenage years were supposed to be hard, no matter who the parent and child was, but she and Henry had always been so close. It hurt more than it might have. "Make sure it's okay with Regina if you stay here," she murmured, summoning what she hoped was appropriate mom voice to cover what she was feeling. Less than five minutes later they were out the door.

 

* * *

Henry came came thundering down the stairs. How many times had Regina told him that one didn't need to sound like a rampaging herd of elephants when descending? Perhaps in a few more days, she would become annoyed with it again, but at the moment, she was still enjoying hearing him crash through the house.

 

"Hey, Mom," Henry called as he swung into her study. "Do you think it would be okay if I went over to Grandma's house for a little while? I haven't really had a chance to see them since we got back into town because Mom..." he shrugged and toe a wrinkle in the rug. Regina made a mental note to fix that.

 

"I don't see why not." She pursed her lips. "We just have to make certain your mother doesn't see you on your way over there and wonder why I'm allowing you to roam all over town."

 

"That and you're still worried about all the disappearances," Henry said matter of factly.

 

Regina smiled wryly, but didn't try to debate the point. "That too. Do you have everything you need?"

 

Henry nodded and hefted the backpack that was slung over one shoulder in response. "Got it."

 

"Excellent, then let's go," Regina said and held her hand out to Henry. He took it without hesitation. It didn't surprise Regina after the past few days, but it did send a little thrill through her heart. There had been days, weeks, months, when she had thought Henry would never trust her that easily again.

 

"What are we-" Henry started to ask, but his words were cut off as purple smoke flared up around them and engulfed them.

 

An instant later Henry was stumbling away from Regina, off balance from the translocation. Henry caught himself on the back of a chair and laughed. "You can do that and you still drive?"

 

Regina snorted. "It's considerable more difficult to accomplish with an armload of groceries, but I suppose it is one of the perks."

 

There was a delicate cough from the far side of the room. "We, uh, we didn't know you were coming to visit this morning, Henry," came Snow's voice, drifting over to them. Her usual cheer sounded strained.

 

Regina raised her eyes. She had a suspicion of what she would find, but she didn't want those suspicions confirmed. To her complete lack of surprise, she found Snow and David in bed. The covers were pulled all the way to their chins in a thoroughly unnatural way. Regina arched an eyebrow at them and Snow had the grace to flush. "Henry wanted to come spend some time with the two of you this morning. He hasn't had a chance to see you since he's gotten back," Regina explained.

 

"Of course," Snow said. "That sounds wonderful, Henry. We've missed you." Neither she or David made a move to get out of bed.

 

"Snow's been feeling bad this morning," David said apropos of nothing.

 

Regina rolled her eyes even as she caught Snow elbowing David beneath the covers. "Why don’t you go up and look for that book you couldn't find at home, dear?" Regina suggested to Henry. "Maybe you left it here."

 

He wrinkled his nose. "So the curse just like put stuff back where we left it."

 

Regina shrugged. It was magic. "I suppose so. It can't hurt to look."

 

"Right," Henry said. This time, undistracted by the vagaries of magic, he took her hint and sprinted up the stairs to give his grandparents a moment.

 

"Do try to remain clothed while Henry is here," Regina commented as she turned her attention back to David and Snow. "I would prefer he not return any more traumatized than he already has been."

 

"Regina-" Snow started to explain, but Regina held up an imperious hand.

 

"Call me when he's ready to return home and I'll pick him up in the same way. Emma is venturing around town this morning and Henry was supposed to be staying home because he didn't feel like coming out. It would be hard to explain why he's with you." There. That was safer than saying that Emma was somewhere out around the town with her fiance. A stranger who never should have been able to get into Storybrooke - no small concern after the damage Greg and Tamara had done. But all Snow would care about was that he was Emma’s fiance and if Regina knew Snow there would be an interrogation - of her. Snow would want to know what this meant, what he looked like, and if he seemed right for Emma. Regina had no answers and then, even worse, Regina didn't think Snow would be able to resist the urge to meet the man and meddle. No, it was best all around if Snow didn't know he was here. Regina didn't wait for Snow to reply. With a dramatic flick of her wrist, she was back in her own home again.

 

Regina took one step toward the stack of mail on the kitchen table and froze with the certainty that someone was in her home. No one should have been able to do that but she and Henry and now Emma. She was just about to take a closer look around the room to see what had been done when the phone rang. Regina took a careful step back, never stopping in her scan of the room as she reached for it. It might be Snow or David calling about Henry.

 

"Madame Mayor?" The oddity of hearing a strange voice speaking words that usually only came out of Emma's mouth combined with her battle-ready distraction threw Regina for a moment.

 

"Who is this?" she demanded. Fire flared in her palm. It burned white with the heat of her irritation.

 

"Robin Hood," the voice on the other side identified himself. "They said I should summon you on this strange device. We've captured the beast."

 

"Captured the beast?" Regina repeated, not bothering to hide her skepticism. "I heard that thing. I don't think your band of merry men took that thing down."

 

"I should say we captured one of them," Robin Hood continued. "We believe there are many more, which is why they seem so fearsome."

 

Regina rolled her eyes. Peasants! "Very well. Tell me where you are and I'll be there in a moment." She hesitated, a worrisome thought occurring to her. "Who was 'they'?"

 

"They?" Robin parroted back at her.

 

"The people who told me to call you," Regina explained. Her hand clenched tighter around the receiver.

 

"Ah, yes, it was Snow White and her Prince. The folk at the hospital suggested I tell them of this but when I did they directed me to you. They were watching a boy and Snow White is in no shape-"

 

Regina hung up on him and his long winded explanation. It was possible this was some sort of distraction to get her out of her home again, but Snow and David wouldn't be behind it. Someone impersonating them perhaps.

 

"Hello, Dear," someone sneered from behind her. Her back itched with the target that Regina had no doubt was on it as she pivoted on one heel to face her intruder.

 

"Can I help you?" Regin asked. She was the Evil Queen if some idiot thought they could come into her own home and frighten her, well they could think again.

 

"Oh, no, I'm doing just fine," the green woman said, with a wave of her hand that was meant to look casual. The loathing on her face as she stared at Regina said just the opposite. "Actually I'm here to help you."

 

"And how do you propose to do that?" Regina asked, skeptical that there was anything this woman wearing a ridiculous gaudy dress and an actual witches' hat - something that hadn't in fashion for ages even in the Enchanted Forest - could help her with.

 

"Why, by telling you what's going on here. It's delightful. You'll love it," the woman said with a confiding air.

 

Regina rankled at the implication this woman knew her at all. "Am I supposed to know who you are?" Regina asked as she made her study and dismissal of the woman in front of her plain, with a sweeping up and down glance at her.

 

There was a momentary flash of anger across the woman's face and then it was gone, or more accurately - buried. Regina took note. It would be easy to anger this one. She had learned over time and her own experiences that could be a liability. "No, I suppose you wouldn't know," the woman snarled. "You with your cushy, sheltered life. And let's not forget those pesky memory issues. Not so nice now that the shoes on the foot, is it?" She laughed. It wasn't a pleasant sound. "My name is Zelena and I'm your sister, dear."

 

It was Regina's turn to laugh. It felt good. "Neither of my parents were green, dear. I think you must be mistaken." Zelena's hands clenched into fists at her side and she looked like she wanted to break something, Regina preferably. It made Regina want to laugh again so she did.

 

"Think this is funny, do you?" Zelena hissed. "You won't be laughing for long, sis. Mommy dearest isn't around anymore for me to get my vengeance, so I'll take the only one I have left."

 

Regina folded her arms across her chest. This might have been amusing for a moment, but it was rapidly losing its appeal. "Should I even bother to ask, why me? I think I would have remembered meeting you, much less wronging you in some way." She could try a little logic while she pumped this idiot for information.

 

"Because you had it all - the magic, the kingdom, the riches, a life of privilege - and you threw it all away for nothing." Zelena took a step closer. "It should have been mine! I was the oldest, mother's first born. You were nothing."

 

"I don't recall seeing you around the old family estate, dear," Regina noted. She kept her voice just as calm as Zelena's was desperate and hateful. It would goad her even further and so far it was being very informative, even if Regina didn't believe half of what the woman was saying.

 

Zelena sniffed. "It doesn't matter. I'm going to fix it. She should have kept me. I wanted it and you," she sneered, tugging on the sleeve of Regina's dress and flipping a long curl away from Regina's face dismissively. "You didn't want it at all. I would have been better than she could ever have imagined."

 

"Kept you?" For the first time, Regina wondered if it could be true. But this was too good to pass up. Whether she was mother's daughter or not, Zelena's dismissal of her question meant there was another sore spot there. Regina would be more than happy to poke it. "No wonder I never met you, if she gave you away, dear. I'm sure she must have had a good reason," Regina said, with mock sympathy as she laid her hand on Zelena's arm.

 

"She was wrong," Zelena repeated, almost stamping her foot. Regina had almost forgotten what it was to fight like this, the rush of blood through her veins. The way every fiber of her body sang with the need for victory, and more than that, the need to crush her enemy beneath her heel.

 

"Prove it," Regina snapped. "Nothing you've said so far has convinced me you could be the daughter of Cora Mills. There's just been a lot of whining."

 

Zelena was close now, close enough that she reached out to touch Regina's cheek. Her fingertips ghosted along until her nails bit in and dragged down Regina's face. A drop of blood glistened on the end of one green nail as Zelena held it up between them. "Didn't you wonder how I got in here, Sis? Only family or blood could get through that seal."

 

Regina shoved her hand away, not caring that she had tipped her own hand with the gesture. "So you're going to kill me. Is that it? Let's get to it then. It gets tiring after so many attempts. Yours is one of many." She hadn't missed that weak spot. Zelena didn't like being ordinary, just the same as everyone else. Regina would exploit every flaw she could find.

 

"Oh, no," Zelena said as she drew back with a smile. Not quite the result Regina had intended. "I have something special planned for you. I could have done it all without telling you, but where would be the fun in that. I want you to know - to understand - what I'm about to do to you. You see, sister dear, right now my faithful minions are collecting the things I need and bringing them to me. But you don't care about that," Zelena said, with an airy wave. "You care about the boy, Henry." Regina stiffened. "I knew I'd gotten that one right," Zelena said. "You made it so obvious, but it's always nice to have confirmation. Don't worry. You'll get to see him again, before I kill him. Or should I leave him alive? I haven't decided which would be worse. Maybe you can help me decide. You see, I've decided to go back in in time to right some wrongs, fix things so I'm the daughter Mother keeps. With any luck, you won't even have been born," Zelena hissed. "Then neither will the boy. So what's worse? Knowing he will never have existed or watching him die in front of you." Zelena snapped her fingers. "I've got it. Why not both?"

 

Regina lunged for her, arms outstretched and fingers clawed. Instead of backing away or trying to shove her aside, Zelena laughed and threw her arm out, but her hand was open, not closed as if she were going to throw a punch. Too late Regina realized what she was doing, but then Zelena's hand was already inside her chest, her fingers wrapped around Regina's heart. Regina gasped for breath as those fingers tightened and dropped to her knees. There wasn't even a chance to fight. Her legs just gave way. How many times had she seen it happen to her own victims. Regina stared up at Zelena as she was held immobile against her will, even as every muscle in her body struggled to fight back for Henry.

 

Zelena stroked her cheek again, nails grazing the raw lines she had left before. "Thanks, sis. I needed this," she hissed and yanked Regina's heart from her chest. Regina sucked in a ragged breath and fell back against the bare floor, hitting hard with nothing to break it. "Enjoy," Zelena snarled and vanished in a whirl of green smoke.

 

Regina lay there for a moment until she could move - breathe - again. Then pushed herself to her feet and brushed her dress off. Zelena might have her heart - and Regina could feel the gaping emptiness in her chest, the vast nothingness where all her love for Henry should be - but Zelena was clearly still an ameteur. She hadn't commanded Regina not to fight against her. Maybe she wanted to see Regina try. It didn't matter. Regina had spent years, decades with her Huntsman's heart in her possession. She knew more about passive resistance than Zelena could ever imagine and as long as Henry's life was on the line she would never stop fighting. Mother had been heartless, but look at all that she'd accomplished. Horrible things, yes, but she had accomplished them. There was no reason that Regina couldn't save Henry, save them all. There was just one thing Regina needed first, The Savior. Not because Emma was the Savior, but because she was Emma, Henry's other mother, and together nothing could stop them when it came to saving their son.

 

* * *

One of the first things Emma had realized she had liked about Walsh was how easy it was to be with him. He was one of the most relaxed people she knew. Nothing flustered him. He hadn't blinked when Emma had mentioned what she did or that she had a kid. He'd known about Henry from the beginning when they'd gone into Walsh's shop. He never pressured her for more than she was ready to give in their relationship and he was always up for anything. Even when he had proposed and Emma had freaked out, it had come with a hundred release valves and get out of proposal free cards. None of that had changed. Being with Walsh was easy and sometimes easy was nice. It gave her a chance to relax and breathe for a moment, walking down mainstreet with Walsh's arm around her. She enjoyed his warmth and steadiness, but there was something that was bothering her and she couldn't quite place it.

 

They had been walking for a while, strolling really, when they came up to Granny's. Walsh saw her eyeing it because he grinned at her. "Need a bearclaw?"

 

Honestly, Emma wasn't feeling it. She was still stuffed from the magnificent breakfast that Regina had fixed for she and Henry, but that wasn't the expected answer. So she grinned and said, "Oh, yeah." Granny's bear claws were pretty awesome in their own right.

 

Walsh's phone rang just as they stepped inside. He winced and fished it out of his pocket. "Sorry, gotta take this. It's the shop. I left Phil in charge and you know how that is."

 

"Right," Emma said, although for the life of her she couldn't remember what Walsh had said about Phil before. Maybe the guy was new, but then why would Walsh have left him charge? Why not... Emma struggled to conjure up the name of any of Walsh's other employees. She had seen them that day at the shop and Walsh must have mentioned him in all the time they had been dating, but suddenly she couldn't recall a single individual name. There were a few 'that guys', but... it was odd.

 

"Okay, yeah, got it," Walsh said, from a few feet away where he'd stepped out of the meager flow of traffic in and out the door. "We're on then." He clicked his phone locked and slid it back into his pocket. He came out with a tube of chapstick at the same time he flashed Emma an apologetic grin. "Sorry about that." He applied a thin layer to his lips and leaned in to kiss her.

 

Emma stopped him with a hand on his chest. "How did you know things weren't going great here?"

 

Walsh laughed, glancing down at her hand. "I could tell when you called. It wasn't that hard, Emma."

 

"And that was enough for you to just drop everything and drive up to Maine," Emma said, alarm bells ringing more and more loudly in her head as she said it out loud.

 

"Of course," Walsh said. "I'm your fiance, Emma. I love you and Henry. I would do anything for you."

 

Emma tilted her head and let her hand drop from between them as she took a step back. "But you implied that Henry had called you when you got to the mansion."

 

"So?" Walsh said with a shrug and another little careless laugh. "Is it wrong for me and Henry to talk now? You know we text."

 

"No," Emma said slowly. "But the thing you don't know is Henry's not so happy about me agreeing to marry you right now. He got pretty upset and he ran away out here to find his biological father."

 

"Emma-" Walsh began.

 

"So," Emma kept going, ignoring Walsh's interruption. "If Henry didn't tell you and I didn't tell you either, how did you know where we were staying?"

 

Walsh reached for her wrist. Emma yanked it back just as quickly. "Sorry," Walsh said, holding his hands up in surrender. "Just give me a chance to explain?" He reached for her hand again and this time Emma let him take it. There was nothing he could or would do to hurt her with it, not in broad daylight on main street. Not when she knew very well how to take care of herself. He raised her hand to his lips as if he were going to kiss it when a cloud of dark, purple smoke erupted behind Walsh. Emma jerked away from him reflexively, stumbling back a step as the smoke disappeared and Regina emerged.

 

Regina looked her up and down and snapped, "We have to go. She has Henry and she's going to kill him."

 

 


	9. Chapter Eight

Regina had planned to give Snow and David more warning the next time she need to teleport into their home. Showing up outside the door, perhaps, or just inside it with her back turned if she needed to be inside. Now, with Henry's life at stake from a sister she had never known she had, who had been driven insane by her need for vengeance and acknowledgement, there were no time for such courtesies. And with Henry there, they should damn well be fully clothed at any rate. When her vision cleared, it wasn't the quiet apartment she had hoped to find. The floor was littered with glass, splintered wood and a few crumpled bricks. It had all shattered inwards, if Regina was correct. There were a few dwarfs and Red milling around, while Snow sat next to David on the couch, one arm around his shoulders. Her cellphone was pressed to her ear with the other hand, and Regina could hear her muttering, "Come on, Regina. Come on. Pick up."

 

"I'm here, dear," Regina said, stepping forward. She knew even as she did why Snow would be calling her. Henry was gone. Regina felt it all with curious detachment. It was impossible to not think of Mother when Regina was like this, like _her_ , heartless. The longer she spent without it, the better Regina understood why Mother had done it. There was a clarity that came with the loss of her heart that Regina hadn't ever felt before. Goals became clearer and inessentials fell away as the distractions that they were.

 

"They took Henry," Snow said as she tried to push herself up off the couch and fly toward Regina. It ended as a futile heave. Red was at her side with one quick step to help her best friend up.

 

"I know, dear," Regina said distractedly. She eyed David, who was still sitting on the couch. He hadn't moved, either to help Snow up or tell her about Henry. If anything, he had curled even further in upon himself. There had even been a whimper when Snow moved away from him. "What's wrong with the Charming idiot?" she asked, with an imperious tilt of her chin toward him.

 

Snow took a deep, shuddering breath. "I swear, Regina, we had no warning that they were coming. I was sitting up in bed, trying to find a comfortable position. David was sharpening his sword and Henry was hanging out on the couch playing a video game. The next thing we knew everything was exploding inwards. I ducked and David dropped his sword and dove on top of Henry." She looked back at her husband, noted his worsened state and reach back to slide her fingers through his short hair. "There were four of them. These...these winged beasts, with long tails and claws." Snow shook her head. "I've never seen anything like them. David tried to fight them, but he couldn't. They grabbed him and flung him up against the wall. I tried to grab Henry and run, but they blocked the door.” Snow’s hands were trembling Regina noted, more likely with unspent adrenaline than fear. Bandit Snow would hate being helpless in the face of attackers. “They tied me up in at the table and took Henry.”

 

“Why didn’t David keep fighting?” Not an angry question, but a practical one. For all her issues with the Shepherd, Regina had never once doubted his foolish courage or his dedication to his grandson. He wouldn’t have let Henry go without putting up a fight and he didn’t look bruised and beaten enough to have continued fighting.

 

“They did something with magic,” Snow answered, her brow furrowing as she turned back to her husband. “I think they took something from him. He still doesn’t seem right.”

 

Regina dropped to one knee in front of David and bent down until she could catch his gaze. He flinched away from her, his chin trembling. “I’m sorry, Regina.”

 

 _As well you should be_ , Regina managed not to say. He looked so frightened, almost like a child. Snapping at him wouldn’t be practical. She laid a hand on his knee. “You did very good, David, but now I need help finding Henry.”

 

Before Regina could even ask, David was shaking his head. “I can’t. I can’t do it. They’ll kill me. Did you see them?” he asked, looking up at Snow with wild eyes.

 

“David,” Regina said, before Snow could speak. “You don’t have to do anything, dear. Can you tell what they took from you?”

 

He focused back on her with some effort. “Courage. That’s...that’s what they said. They needed it.”

 

“Thank you, dear,” Regina said, her mind already moving in a hundred different directions as she rose. Courage. It was useful, of course, to take the courage of a brave man, but from what she had said there were things Zelena needed for whatever she was trying to accomplish. Maybe Charming’s courage were one those. She turned her attention on Snow. “Tell Belle they took David’s courage. Perhaps for a spell. Ask her to research it.”

 

“Hey, Sister,” Grumpy snarled. “You’re not the queen here anymore. You can’t just go around giving orders.”

 

The strange detachment that Regina had been feeling was still there, but then so was the urge to rip his lungs out through his nose. It was a dilemma, but ultimately more time consuming than she had to spare at the moment. Later. Perhaps. If it wouldn’t upset Henry too badly.

 

Snow touched her hand to draw her attention away from Grumpy. Perhaps she had been able to read the look in Regina’s eyes. “What about David?”

 

“He’ll be fine,” Regina said with a shrug. “If more cowardly than usual.” Regina left with as little fanfare as she had come, ignoring Snow’s shouts and protests in the seconds before she vanished. Snow was wrong. They couldn’t help. There was no one that she needed to get Henry back besides Emma and she had needed to verify that he was really missing first. No running into traps without looking for Regina. Oh, no.

 

* * *

 

 

Regina's heart thudded wildly in Zelena's hand, like the wings of trapped bird fluttering futilely to escape its captor. Zelena raised it from beneath her cloak to examine it. It glowed with the same strange light that all hearts did and there was darkness there. Dark whirls of black dominated the outside of it, but beneath it glowed the brightest red Zelena had ever seen even as it continued to beat frantically against her palm. This was what vengeance and victory felt like. Zelena wanted to taste it. She brought the heart closer, breathing in the scent of it, the faint metallic tang of a heart ripped from its owner's chest and completely under her control. Her eyes fell closed as she savored every breath of it. She needed to taste Regina's defeat. Was it bitter? Rich? Full of anguish and pain and desperation? Zelena wanted to savor every nuance of flavor. She brought the heart closer, raising it to her lips, already imagining her tongue touching it. She would cherish every foul flavor and inscribe it in her memory to wrap around her like a warm cloak on cold nights. She would never forget what this tasted like.

 

"Come to get me out at last, witch?"

 

Zelena's eyes snapped open. She curled her free hand into a fist to keep from lashing out at the Captain with magic. "You ruined it," she hissed, stuffed the heart back into the bag that hung around her neck by silken strings and pushed it out of sight beneath her emerald cloak.

 

"Ruined what, lass?" Hook asked, a confused expression on his handsome features.

 

"Never mind," Zelena commanded airly. "It's none of your concern." There was no way a mere pirate captain like Hook would be able to understand the beauty of what she was creating. He was a simple man, with simple motives and even pettier revenges. "Do you wish to be free, Captain?"

 

"It does get a bit boring in here," Hook noted, using his hooked hand to gesture around his cell.

 

"Excellent," Zelena purred. "I have some use for you." A wave of her hand, a tiny burst of magic and the locked door was springing open. "My beautiful beasties have captured the boy, my dear nephew Henry. I need to keep him from my dear sister and his other mother for some time. I want you to... hold him hostage has such a nasty ring to it." She grinned. "Let's try keep him safe instead, because if you allow his dear mother or your beloved Savior to rescue him, I'll kill them all." She stroked one hand down his chest, letting her nails dig into skin. "Do you understand me, Captain?"

 

Hook stared at her, ignoring the way she was touching him. Hatred poured out of him as he glared at her. "Swan will never forgive me for this," he bit out between clenched teeth, a muscle in his jaw rippling with suppressed anger.

 

"Probably," Zelena agreed cheerily. "Regretting your bargain with me for her life and that of her family, Captain? More trouble than you thought? Or were you merely interested in the Savior's gratitude for saving her and her family?"

 

Hook lunged towards her, fury etched in the lines of face. Zelena's hand sank into his chest and clutched his heart. It only took a tiny squeeze to send him to his knees. "What will it be, Captain?"

 

A pained groan escaped his lips. "I'll be your sodding babysitter," his eyes still blazed with fury. "But know this, witch. You won't succeed. They'll stop you and one day Swan and I will be properly reunited."

 

Zelena shook her head. The man's stupidity was endless. The Savior had already turned him down twice. She squeezed his heart one last time as a reminder of what she could do and then shoved him back away from her. He stumbled but caught himself quickly. "Where is the lad?"

 

Zelena waved her hand instead of answering, sending him away from her in a cloud of green smoke. Hook and Henry taken care of, her sister running around with the knowledge of she and her son's soon to be non-existence. Her plan was shaping up nicely. It was delicious. One hand rose to stroke the bag that hung heavy around her neck. She could feel the heart's rapid thrumming through the soft material. Zelena wanted to take it out again, to hold it in her palm and savor it. But she couldn't. There were a few more details that needed to be attended to. She couldn't lose sight of goal now that she was so close. Distraction by a victory would be the same as defeat. Zelena let the bag go until it was a comforting weight against her chest once again and then swept her cloak over it. Best if it was out of sight.

 

"Rumplestiltskin." He didn't appear. Her hand flashed beneath to another object hidden beneath her cloak and came back out with the Dark One's dagger. "Rumplestiltskin."

 

The cursed imp appeared before her in a flash. "Yes, dearie?" There was nothing pleasant about the way he was staring at her either, but Zelena was beyond needing her former teacher's approval anymore. He had bowed to her the same way the rest of them would. She controlled the Dark One. Had anyone else achieved so much?

 

"I'm sending you on a little errand." Her grin turned feral. "Kill the Savior." Her light magic was the only thing that could stop Zelena. Her missing memories had kept that problem at bay for some time, but Zelena's plan was coming together. It would be time to perform the spell soon and Zelena wasn't going to take any chances that the Savior or her ridiculous band of friends and family might find a way to stop her.

 

"Now, now, dearie," Rumplestiltskin hissed, crossing his arms over his chest. "Didn't you promise the good Captain that you would spare his lady love?"

 

"Do you care?" Zelena asked, incredulous.

 

"Well, a deal's a deal, dearie," Rumplestiltskin said with a shrug.

 

"I don't care," Zelena snapped. The hilt of the dagger bit into her palm as she squeezed it tighter. "You will do what I say. Kill her!" She had hoped he would disappear in a flash of light to do what she had commanded, but instead there was a long moment as Rumplestiltskin stared at her. His gaze was steady and measuring. Zelena wanted to lash out at him again, to command him to tell her what he saw or was looking for, but she said nothing, holding it in until she couldn't take it any more. "Go!" she shrieked.

 

With a final laughing cackle at her expense, Rumplestiltskin was gone. Why were they all determined to ruin this day for her?

 

* * *

 

 

“Regina?” Emma blurted in disbelief as the last wisps of purple smoke faded into nothingness. “How did you-” Emma hated to admit it, but it was the best illusion she had ever seen. There was the distraction, of course, that burst of purple smoke, but how would Regina have known they would end up here to plant the device that made the smoke. Only the smoke had seem to come from mid-air, not the ground and it still left the question of where Regina had come from. There was nothing around them that she could have hidden behind to jump out behind the smoke… unless there was some kind of trap door in the floor? Not impossible, but- What Regina had said, processed through Emma’s brain at last. “Henry? Where is he? What do you mean someone took him? Who took him? Where’s the Sheriff?” One last futile thought. “...and how the hell did you get here?”

 

“We don’t have time for this,” Regina said. “It’s magic, dear.” She snapped her fingers and flame shot out of the palm of her hand.

 

Emma stepped forward and poked at it with one finger. She yanked it back just as quickly when heat bit into it. “Shit! That burns. How are you doing that?”

 

"Fire tends to do that," Regina murmured, glancing around wildly. "Emma, that isn't important."

 

"But your hand. How is there enough fuel on there to keep burning this long without it burning your hand?" Emma pressed as she stared at it with horrified fascination.

 

"Magic," Regina stressed the word. "Not an illusion, dear. Real magic, with real power." Regina shook her head at the blank look on Emma's face. "I can't believe Henry once had the patience to spend months try to convince you of this. He can't even remember to pick up his socks."

 

"What are you-" Emma frowned. "You said Henry was missing?" Magic and unexplainable fire was no longer of any of concern to her.

 

"Emma," Walsh said as he stepped forward and blocked Regina from her view. "What is this woman talking about? She sounds crazy." He touched her arm. "Let's just go back to the house. We can make sure Henry's safe and then go out for ice cream, the three of us. She's probably just trying to manipulate you for some reason. Henry's a smart kid. He wouldn't leave where was supposed to be without telling you."

 

Last week Emma would have believed it. This week... And that didn't include the possibility of someone taking Henry. It didn't make much sense, but then, nothing here did, and there had been all those disappearances. Neal had died and Regina had never lied to her before. No, if Regina said Henry was missing then Emma believed her, but... "Why are you showing me all this stuff if Henry's missing?" Emma asked, ducking around Walsh so she could see Regina.

 

"Because the people who took him have magic. I need you to understand that it's real before we face them," Regina said urgently. "It's our only chance."

 

"What about the authorities?" Walsh suggested, sounding concerned and doubtful. "Shouldn't the police be involved in this?"

 

Emma hesitated. She supposed he was right, but...

 

"David? No," Regina said dismissively. "He's useless. Emma and I can handle this. Emma," Regina repeated, pushing past Walsh to get to her.

 

Emma was staring at her. "I trusted you with him. I believed you, that he's missing but this is crazy. Literally. It makes no sense. Why would someone take Henry?" Her eyes narrowed and she took a step forward, her hands clenched into fists at her sides. "What are you trying to distract me from?"

 

"Use your superpower," Regina snapped. "Nothing. I'm telling you the truth. Now stop blithering and let's go get our son. Or I'll do it myself!"

 

The "our" wasn't lost on Emma but it wasn't wrong either. That was what her gut was telling her and Emma had no explanation for it either. Or the fact that Regina at least believed she was telling the truth about having real magic as crazy as that sounded. It all sounded insane, but none of that mattered. She couldn't take a chance with Henry, not if there was the tiniest chance he was missing. "Okay," she said to Regina. "Let's go. My gun's locked up at the mansion. I need to get it first." There was no way she was going into this unarmed.

 

"Okay," Regina said and nodded as if something had been settled. "I can get us there faster, but I don't know where they've taken Henry. We'll have to figure it out after we pick up what you need."

 

"Fine," Emma said. Her fingers began to sing with adrenaline as determination settled over her.

 

"I can't take two," Regina said, with a jerk of her head in Walsh's direction. More of her crazy magic and it's crazy rules. Emma wasn't sure what Regina was about to do but what would happen when it didn't work at all.

 

She expected Walsh to protest but he didn't only smiled at her and said, "Kiss for luck?" Maybe he didn't think it would work either. It was a hell of a thing to ask for when he knew Henry was in danger and they were scrambling to go get him back. It would be quicker just to agree though. Walsh's lips were about to brush hers when the large plate glass windows that ran across the front of Granny's exploded inwards.

 

Not knowing what was coming for them, Emma whirled to face the sound and threw her arm up as she saw the impossible happen. Shards of glass converged into a cluster and arrowed toward her in a way no natural explosion could cause. Regina stepped up beside her nonplussed by any of it and threw her hands up in what Emma assumed would be a futile gesture. Regina wasn't even using them to cover her face or protect herself. But then the glass slowed and began to disintegrate, raining down on the floor as sand.

 

"Hello, dearie," crooned a strange little man, with a  flourishing half-bow as he stepped through where the windows had been. His skin was scaly and glittery, almost reptilian looking. Just the way he moved made Emma think snake might be a good description for this one. And she recognized him. "You're Neal's father!" she exclaimed.

 

At the same time, Regina added, "Weren't you supposed to be dead?" She sounded more skeptical than concerned by that, but Regina also never took her eyes off him as the man began to move around them. Regina moved with him so that Emma was never between the two of them. She treated him as if he was dangerous and that was good enough for Emma.

 

He clapped his hand together and did a quick, capering jig. "It didn't take."

 

"I see that," Regina drawled. "What are you doing here, Rumplestiltskin?"

 

Emma couldn't help it her eyes flicked from him to Regina. "Seriously?" But Regina ignored her.

 

"Why I'm here to kill the Savior, dearie," Rumplestiltskin said, rubbing his hands together and eyeing Emma like she was what's for dinner.

 

"You're working for that witch, aren't you?" Regina spat. "She has Henry. Don't you care about that? The witch wants to kill him. He's the last piece of your precious Baelfire left."

 

 _Baelfire_? Had that been Neal's real name? No wonder he had chosen Neal, and run as far and fast as he could. This guy was a piece of work.

 

"Of course I care," Rumplestiltskin snarled, his face transformed by rage. "I'll have my vengeance. The Dark One always does, but she has my dagger. For now I must obey. Let me finish up my little errand here," he nodded at Emma. "And I'll be going. Maybe I can even do something for the boy. Let him go perhaps?" His grin showed teeth. "She hasn't told me not to, after all."

 

Regina hesitated and Emma began to wonder if she need to worry, then Regina said, "Is Zelena really my sister?"

 

"Who the hell is Zelena?" Emma murmured but didn't ask too loudly. Anything that diverted the guy who was apparently trying to kill her right now was a good thing in her book.

 

Rumplestiltskin's eyes narrowed into slits of fury. "Oh yes," he breathed. "Your mother tricked me. Tricked me! Made me a deal and told me I could have her first born." He held an arm out toward Regina, his hand splaying open toward her like a model on "The Price Is Right" displaying a showcase. "When I came to collect, she told me I was too late. She'd long ago sent her first born away, abandoned it in the woods. She said it was surely dead." He shrugged. "Eventually I learned how wrong she was."

 

Regina's hands trembled at her sides. Emma wondered if she was the only one who saw it. This just kept getting worse and worse. Regina's mom had agreed to be involved in child trafficking with this sick fuck, but gotten out of the deal by promising a child that was already dead. "This is the guy you want on our side to free Henry?" she muttered to Regina. Grandfather or not, there was no way this guy was coming within a hundred miles of her kid.

 

Regina ignored her, however, her eyes still locked on Rumplestiltskin who was grinning at her in a way that made Emma's skin crawl. "Are we done with that now, dearie? Things to do. Places to go. Saviors to slaughter. You know."

 

Regina's hands stopped shaking. "No, I won't let you."

 

"How are you going to stop me?" Rumplestiltskin cackled. "You've never been a match for me." A dark burst of energy flared out of his hands straight towards Emma. Regina took one short step between them and blocked it, throwing the energy back at him. Sparks flew and energy shot out to the side. A table exploded in sharp, hot fragments that bit into Emma's skin.

 

"Fuck!" she cursed, ducking as she looked for something, anything to leap into the fray with. Walsh was crouched beneath the table of a booth, out of sight of the battle. Emma dismissed him just as quickly as she had seen him. He was safe and out of the line of fire. That was good enough. Emma snagged the first thing her hand found, which was the heavy glass salt and pepper shakers on top of the table and slung them at Rumplestiltskin. They hit him solidly in the arm and torso before the bounced off. He flinched but didn't look bothered by them. He didn't even try to duck.

 

"You may be the Dark One, Rumplestiltskin," Granny called out from where she had ducked down behind the counter. "But you're still the landlord. You'll be paying for all these damages!"

 

The battle continued to rage with Emma throwing anything she could get her hands on at Rumplestiltskin as he and Regina traded flashes of light and bursts of energy - among other things. Tables and silverware alike became projectiles, anything that wasn't nailed down. A fork almost lodged itself in Regina's thing, but Emma jerked her aside at the last instant.

 

"We'll see about that," Rumplestiltskin snapped back and redoubled his attack on Regina. It knocked her back a step and Rumplestiltskin lashed out, taking advantage of her distraction hurling sickly, dark energy toward her. Emma darted out from behind kicked a table toward him. It slammed into his thighs and he stumbled. His aim shifted and the burst of magic missed Regina at the last instant. Emma had a second to wish for her gun again and then shoved the table aside and lunged for Rumplestiltskin.

 

His arms came up to lash out at her with that strange energy. From over Emma's shoulder came another blast to meet it - Regina's work. The next instant Emma slammed into him and drove them both to the floor. She hit the ground hard, but he hit harder. Emma didn't wait to start punching him, hitting him as hard as she could. There was no holding back now. Not when this guy had been trying to kill her and he was stopping them both from getting to Henry. The first few blows were careless, but stunned him, or maybe it was the fall. The blows that followed were precise. One to his throat and then the jaw. Emma felt him go slack, his eyes rolling up in his head, but hit him again for good measure, to make sure he wasn't faking it. Pain flared in her hand and Emma winced. "Fuck!" A broken finger probably. She didn't have time for this.

 

Regina caught her arm as she stumbled to her feet and steadied her.

 

"Fuck, fuck, fuck," Emma kept swearing. "What was that? Why was he trying to kill me? And why was he calling me the Savior?" Emma demanded as she paced back and forth over him.

 

Ropes shot out of Regina's hands and encircled Rumplestiltskin, almost mummifying him. Regina sighed as she inspected her handiwork. "It won't last long once he wakes, but it will hold him for now." She looked at Emma as if just remembering she'd asked something. "I think it might have been a distraction to keep us away from Henry." Regina shook her head. "We need to go."

 

"Yeah," Emma agreed as she stared down at him. She nudged him with her toe to make sure he wasn't faking. "Let's go."

 

"You should go too, Mrs. Lucas," Regina added to the old woman behind the counter. Emma hadn't clocked the loaded crossbow in her hands until that moment. "The Dark One won't be in a good mood when he wakes."

 

"No," Granny agreed as she came out from behind the counter, righting a stool to get it out of her way.

 

"Emma," Walsh sounded shaky and scared. His cry dragged her attention away from Granny as he climbed out from beneath the booth. "Are you okay?"

 

Emma gave him a hand up and he wrapped his arms around her immediately. It no longer felt safe or comforting, just confining. She couldn't move with him hanging around her like this. "We have to go," Emma repeated. "Henry."

 

"Yeah," Walsh agreed. He leaned in and out of the corner of her eye saw Granny raised her crossbow.

 

Emma froze, her hands flying up in the air. "Whoa!"

 

"Mrs. Lucas?" Regina said her voice tight. Her hands came up too, but seeing what she had, Emma didn't mistake Regina's gesture for one of surrender. It was a threat, no question.

 

"That one isn't from around here." Emma realized then that it wasn't her Granny was pointing her bow at, but Walsh. "He keeps trying to kiss her."

 

"She's my fiance," Walsh protested. "I love her." Emma flushed. It felt strange to hear the words aloud in front of everyone.

 

"Maybe," Granny said, but it was noncommittal, not agreement. "But he doesn't smell right."

 

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Walsh demanded, almost laughing in a mixture of disbelief and offended surprise. His good cheer was returning as the danger seemed to be fading.

 

Regina tensed though and reached out for Emma. "Step back. He's dangerous."

 

Emma laughed in disbelief. "No way. Walsh couldn't hurt a fly. He's harmless."

 

"He may not be the man you know," Regina bit out, wishing that just once Emma would do what she was asked.

 

"Emma, it's me," Walsh protested again, holding a hand out to her.

 

"We don't have time for this," Regina snapped and lashed out at Walsh. Energy flared and Walsh flew into the air. Just before he slammed into the wall, he writhed in mid-air and changed. Wings, a tail, feathers and claws and nasty looking fangs all shot out.

 

"The fuck," Emma hissed, scrambling back as Walsh hit the wall. He wasn't still even for an instant, nor did he lose any height in the air. Wings flared and he shot back at them as quickly as he had been flung away. He screamed, a high-pitched shriek that made Emma want to grab her head and cover her ears.

 

Regina hit him with a ball of fire and then another in a barrage that sent him ducking and dodging away from him. He kept shrieking as he hovered and began to circle higher and higher before he finally wheeled away and left them alone. Emma stared after him in disbelief. She had just seen... Her fiance had been right there and then he had just... Her hands were shaking and her legs felt like jelly.

 

"Believe in magic yet?" Regina asked from beside her.

 

Emma shook her head. No, she couldn't believe in anything yet. It all felt surreal. "No. Henry," Emma said. His name was becoming like a mantra now. A way to focus on what was important and push away all the extraneous, crazy shit until she could freak out and have a breakdown.

 

"We need a locator spell," Regina said, accepting the change of subject. "We can pick up what I need from the mansion with your gun." Regina didn't hold out her hand again, but took Emma's arm. It was an effort not to flinch away. Purple smoke flared around them and Emma hissed. All of this was insane but it didn't matter now. What mattered was getting Henry back and then getting the hell out of town. Nothing would stop her this time. As soon as she found her son, they were gone.

 

* * *

 

 

The locator spell was easy enough to do once Regina had retrieved the ingredients for it. She was still setting it up when Emma came down the stairs, wearing her red leather jacket and tucking her gun into her pants at the small of her back. Even with the gaping absence that was her lack of a heart, there was still something comforting about seeing Emma like that, a sense of rightness. She almost looked like Sheriff Swan again. Regina liked it, but she would never tell Emma that. Instead Regina gave her a skeptical glance. "Isn't that dangerous?" she said with a nod at the gun in Emma's pants. She expected Emma to snark back with something, but Emma looked sheepish instead.

 

"It is, okay? I knew a guy who shot a butt cheek off. But I don't have a holster for it with me. I wasn't exactly planning on using it this trip," Emma explained.

 

Regina rolled her eyes and held her hand out between them. Smoke whirled and when it cleared it had formed into a leather holster. “Use this instead. I won’t have you endangering yourself. We have enough to deal with as it is, without you taking yourself out.”

 

Emma’s eyes were wide as she reached to take the holster from Regina’s hands. She touched it hesitantly, as if she were waiting for it to disappear - or bite - when she picked it up. When nothing happened Emma lost her reluctance quickly, examining the holster for a moment for any flaws or protuberances that might hinder her at a critical moment. Finding none, she strapped it to her belt. “Thanks.” Then she began to eye the pile of things on the table. She nudged them with one finger and gave Regina a hard look. "You swear this," she gestured at the table. "Will help us find Henry? Because it all looks like crap to me."

 

"This, as you call it, is magic, Ms. Swan, and unless this spell is being blocked, I promise you it will work. I need to find him just as much as you do."

 

Emma wanted to contradict her and tell Regina she was wrong, but she had a feeling that wasn't true. Emma nodded at her. "When this is done, you owe me an explanation about that."

 

"As soon as we have Henry safe, I'll tell you whatever you want," Regina agreed.

 

"Fine," Emma said. "Now, how does this work?"

 

"Very simply," Regina said. "It's like a recipe. You add the ingredients in a certain order, in certain amounts and then add magic." She looked over at Emma steadily. "You could do this, you know."

 

"Me?" Emma snorted, startled by Regina's statement. "Hardly. I don't have any whatever." She waved a hand at the things in front of them.

 

"You do," Regina insisted. "You have always have from the moment you were born." Funny how that was almost a fond thought now, not one of terror and dread as it had been for almost three decades. "Henry thought it was very cool," and he had. It had been infuriating when he was so frightened and mistrustful of Regina's own magic.

 

"You're not lying," Emma said. "How the hell do you know anything about when I was born?" She was starting to sound scared.

 

Then Regina's magic flared and swirled up between her hands in a column of light. Emma's eyes grew wider. "I need to concentrate," Regina said in hopes of stopping Emma's imminent freakout before it could begin. "Com one." Regina followed the magic through the halls to the front door. Emma darted ahead and yanked it open before Regina had to pause and Regina grinned. Even if she couldn't remember a thing about the past few years or who Regina or Henry really were, it was nice to have her practical Sheriff back, someone who would do whatever needed doing when everything around them was going insane.

 

There was a moment's confusion when they headed for the cars, Emma going toward the Beetle and Regina toward her Mercedes. The practicality of Emma driving made itself quickly apparent, but Regina's reluctance to get in the Beetle wasn't feigned.

 

"You gonna let me drive your Mercedes?" Emma asked with a quick jerk of her head toward the darker car. When Regina said nothing, Emma nodded. "That's what I thought. Get in." She waited for Regina though, holding the door open for her until she was in and then jogged around to the other side to get in herself.

 

Emma had no problem following the spell. After a few minutes of Regina passing along their directions, she almost seemed to be anticipating which direction it would tell them to go.

 

"How are you doing that?" Regina asked. She had her suspicions, but mostly wanted to know if Emma realized she was doing it.

 

Emma grimaced. "I can kind of feel it." She shook her head. "This is crazy."

 

"No," Regina corrected. "It's magic." Emma turned again and Regina realized where they were going. "The docks. There's nothing else out this way."

 

Emma took her eyes off the road for a moment to look over at Regina. "Does that mean anything to you?"

 

"No," Regina murmured. "Nothing special." Her hands clenched. If it was Zelena holding Henry, she would be a liability. All the rescuing would be up to Emma. That was why Regina was pushing. If Emma could believe again, she might have the strength to find her magic again and rescue Henry. Maybe it would even break the curse on Storybrooke for a second time.

 

They were drawing up to the side of a building now and couldn't go any further in the car. Emma held her door for her again and they piled out. When it was clear where they were being led, Regina waved her hands and dispelled the magic. She would need them free for what was coming.

 

"Come on, lad. Get on the boat!" They heard Hook before they saw either he or Henry.

 

Emma ducked behind a stack of pallets and Regina squeezed in beside her. Emma had more experience with this sort of rescue than she did. Regina would follow her lead. Emma put a hand on REgina's shoulder to keep her still and leaned in close. "Distraction," Emma whispered her breath puffing against Regina's ear. Regina shivered.

 

It took a moment to process what Emma had said, but she nodded. Oh, yes, she could do distractions. Regina raised her hands and let the magic flow from her. Just for good measure, Regina added just a fire. It hit the ceiling joist high above the boats docked several aisles over with explosive force and a deep resounding bang. The ceiling crumpled inward and Hook jerked around even as shrieks rent the air, coming from several different directions. Shrieks like the ones Walsh had made when he had transformed in the diner.

 

"Damn," they heard Hook swear. "Come on, lad. It's our last chance to get to safety."

 

"No," Henry yelled, backing further away from Hook as he shook his head in defiance. "Not without my moms!"

 

Emma mid-spring, flinched, but kept pushing forward. Regina was right beside her. "Henry!" Emma screamed. He whirled around at the sound of her voice and ran toward her.

 

Hook scrambled up out of the small yacht after him, his hook scraping on the wood as he leaped out. "Oh, no you don't," he snarled.

 

Regina stopped and put her back to Emma. Emma was more than capable of dealing with Hook. These flying beasts were another matter. Regina saw their shadows fall over the water an instant before the appeared beneath the overhang. She didn't wait until she could see them to start throwing fireballs. The first beast almost fell out of the air as they hit him, but Regina wasn't as lucky with the rest of them. They seemed immune to her fire; it only slowed them down, not stopping or injuring them.

 

"Emma, we need to get out of here," Regina called over her shoulder.

 

"Not sure how," came back Emma's clipped reply. "There's too many of them."

 

Something slammed into REgina's back and she whirled to face her attacked only to realize it was Henry. Emma had swung him behind her to safety as Hook charged toward them. Regina gave Henry a quick, feral grin and went back to slinging fireballs.

 

"Swan," Hook called. "You have to let me expl-" Regina heard the unmistakable meaty thunk of a fist against flesh and another thud as Hook hit the ground. He let out a laugh that sounded more scared than amused. THere was another thud - Regina wasn't sure what it was but it was followed by a low groan.

 

"Stay down," Emma snapped and Regina grinned. "Regina." Emma's voice sounded too loud and too close. "More flying monkeys over here."

 

"Take care of them," Regina snapped, having her hands full keeping her own back. The sharp sound of gunfire rang out almost deafening Regina. More shrieks followed.

 

"Can you use that poofing thing again?" Emma called over her shoulder.

 

Not the way Regina had been using magic today. "No, too many of us," Regina admitted through gritted teeth. Her lie to Walsh earlier was truth now.

 

But Emma wasn't deterred. "Then take Henry and go."

 

"No way, Mom," Henry snapped. "We're not leaving you."

 

"No," Regina couldn't help but agree, mostly because she wasn't certain she could transport both she and Henry. She hadn't realized how much heart went into her magic. She felt weak without it. Funny, Mother had always said love was weakness. Here its absence might just get her killed. But no, she wouldn't allow that to happen to Henry. If she could knock those ridiculous beasts back far enough, they could make a run for. If they made it to the car, they might have a chance.

 

Then there was a whirl of green smoke in front of Regina and Zelena stepped out of it. "Hello, sis," Zelena snarled. "Going somewhere?" Zelena threw a burst of dark green magic at her.

 

Regina tried to block it but after her fight with Rumplestiltskin she didn't have enough raw power left to contain it all. It flung Regina back into Henry and Emma. They slammed into the wooden deck in a tangle of limbs. Emma made it up first, pointing her gun at Zelena and taking careful steps until she was between them and Zelena. "Stop it," Emma commanded. "Or I'll stop you."

 

Zelena laughed and made a swatting motion. It slapped the gun from Emma's hand and sent it skidding away until it dropped into the water with a loud, hollow thunk. "Still trying to save everyone even without your precious memories," Zelena taunted, then knocked her aside and marched toward Regina and Henry.

 

The world was still swimming around Regina and her head throbbed painfully. She tried to push herself up and get between them, but the dock tilted treacherously beneath REgain. Henry stepped forward. "I won't let you hurt her."

 

"Brave, foolish little boy," Zelena sneered. "I don't need to touch her." She tapped his nose and Henry jerked back.

 

Regina managed to lever herself up to her knees even with her head spinning. "Don't touch him," Regina snarled as she pushed herself up to her feet. She swayed and Henry caught her with an arm around her waist.

 

Emma slammed into Zelena from behind, sending her to the ground with Emma sprawled on top of her. Emma seemed to be intending to beat her up the same way she had the Dark One, but Zelena had no such lack of interest in carrying out what she intended to do as Rumplestiltskin had, driven only by irresistible command not the desire to do something. Zelena rolled onto her back and her hands shot out, magic flying off her fingers towards Emma. Emma who acted on instinct and threw her hands out to stop it.

 

Light magic, pure and bright, spilled from Emma's hands. Zelena shrieked when it hit her and curled in on herself protectively. "You haven't heard the last of me, my pretties," Zelena hissed even as she disappeared in a whirl of green smoke.

 

"Mom!" Henry cried as he threw his free arm around Emma. "You did it. You got your magic back."

 

"Yeah," Emma staggered and leaned more heavily on Henry. "Yeah, kid, and more than that too." She met Regina's eyes. "I remember." She didn't look happy though and Regina could understand. The life she had given Henry and Emma had been happy, nearly perfect. The one Emm had remembered was far from it.

 

"Mom," Henry was staring up at Regina with an expression full of warmth and awe. "We did it. We got her back." Henry laid his head on her shoulder and squeezed her tight. "Thanks, Mom."

 

Regina raised her hand awkwardly to cup his cheek. "No, thank you, my little prince, for trusting me to do it." Emma wouldn't thank her, but Henry hadn't realized it yet, and he deserved the praise. He had been such a strong, brave boy.

 

"Mom," Henry sounded embarrassed. Regina ignored him and kissed his forehead. Light magic exploded out from between them, surging beyond them in a visible wave of magic. Emma and Regina both gasped, Emma in surprise and Regina because of the wave of memories that washed over her. She swayed as memories of the past year came back with abrupt clarity. She remembered Zelena hunting them all and Snow's desperate sacrifice to bring them all back here to Emma so that she could save them all. It was a lot of pressure for one woman to bear and a burden that could wait a bit longer. At least until Emma was on solid ground again.

 

"I remember too," Regina gasped. "We need to get back to Snow." She shot Emma a glance that pleaded for her to trust Regina a little longer. "I'll explain in the car."

 

"Hook can ride in the trunk," Emma said. It was as close to agreement as Regina needed.

 

Sandwiched between his moms, an arm around each of them, they walked away together, Henry supporting them both.

 

* * *

Once they were in the car, Regina had called Snow. Snow, who had answered it between sharp, panted breaths and told them she was in the hospital, in labor, the reason she hadn't been feeling well that morning now apparent. They had gone straight from the docks to the hospital, Emma's jaw clenched against the sudden knowledge that she was about to be a big sister. Her knuckles had been white on the steering wheel as she tried to focus on anything but the fact that her fiancé was a flying monkey, the wonderful life she had known with her son was nothing but a lie and she had also kissed the dread Evil Queen. Or at least that was what Regina assumed.

 

"You let me think Snow was a crazy stalker," Emma muttered at one point, low enough that Henry, in the backseat, wouldn't be able to hear.

 

Regina rolled her eyes. "It was the best I could come up with at the time, dear."

 

Emma snorted and retorted,"I'm telling Snow."

 

Regina resisted the ridiculous urge to stick her tongue out at Emma. "Fine." But she didn't really mind; Emma was smiling now. That was good enough.

 

They were in the small waiting room now. The drive over having been uneventful. With Emma's memories returned it was easy enough to throw Hook back in his cell at the sheriff's office on the way to the hospital. "You can't do this, Swan,” he had protested. “You'll regret it. You need me. I did it all for you!"

 

Emma had slammed the cell door with a resounding clang. "Yeah, maybe. But I didn't ask you to. I told you to back off - more than once - and you didn't listen. Doesn't sound like you did any of it for me. Sounds like you did it for yourself.

 

"I helped the boy. He got his memories back and came back here to save you," Hook protested. "I made Zelena promise not to hurt him."

 

"I don't call kidnapping him and scaring the shit out of him, protecting him," Emma said. She curled her fingers around the bars and leaned in closer. "And I don't think you want to tell me that you somehow roofied our son," she snapped with a glance over her shoulder at Regina. "And sent him - a thirteen year old boy - out into the world alone where anything could happen to him, to come back to a town where there were literal monsters who were trying to kill him and you want me to thank you?" She shook the bars.

 

Henry's eyes were wide as he stared at her. Regina had moved forward, resting her hand tentatively on Emma's back at the base of her spine. "Emma. Henry made it. He's safe. We'll make certain he stays that way. I promise." A scary promise but they were the words Emma needed to hear. And perhaps Henry too, standing behind them in silence with shaky knees and a too stiff spine. Her son had come through too much on nerve alone lately.

 

Emma let go of the bars and took a step back. It pressed her against Regina's hand but it didn't seem to bother her so Regina didn't move it. "We'll decide what to do with you later after all this is over," Emma said. "But whatever we do, stay away from me and my family. If I see you again..." Her voice shook. "You'll regret it," Emma finished.

 

They had left then, getting back in Emma's Beetle for the short drive to the hospital. They had seen Snow and David briefly. David looked much better than he had when Regina had left the apartment but still a little wild-eyed. Of course that could also be new father jitters. It was nothing compared to the twin horrified looks that Emma and Henry had worn.

 

Regina had nudged Emma and whispered, "You've done this before. Why do you look so terrified?"

 

"I didn't have to see me do it," Emma exclaimed. It had sounded pitiful enough that Regina had taken mercy on them a moment later and they had decamped to the hallway. Regina didn't want to watch Snow experience the miracle of life either when it came down to it. She might do something unforgivable like attempting to hug Regina or blurt something out in an excess of family feeling that would make Regina strangle her. And then Henry would be upset. All in all the waiting room had seemed safer. Only it wasn't now that Henry had grown tired of waiting and jogged down to the vending machine at the end of the hall.

 

Regina had been adamantly against vending machine fare when Henry admitted he hadn't eaten since breakfast and it was now late in the day. She hadn't had a response though when Henry had reminded her it was probably more sanitary and nutritious than anything they had in the cafeteria.

 

"Bring me something back, kid," Emma had called after him and then they had been left in silence. For the first time since Emma had returned to Storybrooke, it was awkward. Regina wasn't sure it could be anything else with all their history between them. She suddenly found herself missing that ease though, as strange and hard as it had seemed at the time.

 

"I, uh, suppose I should thank you," Emma said. "For helping me get my memories back."

 

Regina sat down in a chair and crossed her legs at the ankle, folding her hand together in her lap. "Only if you mean it."

 

Even though Regina's head was bowed, she couldn't miss the way Emma's head shot up or the anger barely held in check. "What do you mean? Of course I'm happy to have my memories back." Emma held out her arms. "It's great."

 

Regina arched a brow. "Don't try the hard sell on me, Ms. Swan."

 

"Emma," the mutter sounded more like an automatic response than anything. Even Emma looked surprised she had said it.

 

"I won't hold you responsible for anything that happened when you didn't have your memories. It wouldn't be fair. Emma." Regina said it deliberately.

 

"Is that why-" Emma blurted and then bit the words off. "Doesn't matter," she muttered.

 

"That's your decision," Regina spoke quietly, ignoring the way her stomach churned, the conversation they were having beneath the conversation.

 

"I'm not sure what I want," Emma said, blunt and honest again. "There's all this stuff in my head. It's hard to figure out what's real in the overlap."

 

"It was like that for Henry at first," Regina admitted. "But it seems to have gotten better."

 

Emma looked up at her hesitantly, her foot tapping and jiggling against the floor like it had a life of its own and was about to run away. "Maybe we could talk after that."

 

Regina nodded. "I'd like that." She pressed her hand against her chest, needing something to hold in the swell of emotion welling up. There was nothing there, no familiar thumping beat to reassure her. She couldn't imagine what this would might feel like with her heart in her chest, huge and terrifying perhaps.

 

She should tell Emma about her heart, Regina knew. She opened her mouth and no words came out. Regina willed them, knew it was necessary to speak them and...nothing. Instead she smiled and said, "I'm going to check on Snow. Keep an eye on Henry and don't let him eat too much junk food?"

 

"Of course," Emma said. The glint in her eye suggested that prevention might come in the form of Emma eating the junk food before Henry could but Regina would take what she could get.

 

She walked into Snow's room in a daze. The simple act of putting one foot in front of the other was surreal. The door was open a crack and Regina entered, coming to a stop at the foot of the bed.

 

"Regina!" Snow seemed genuinely delighted to see her. Her face had a sheen of sweat and she looked exhausted but she was glowing with excitement. "It's a boy!"

 

"Congratulations," Regina said as she came around the side of the bed and bent to get a better look. When Snow didn't object, she pulled back the swaddling blankets to catch a glimpse of dark hair and puffy red cheeks. He wasn't quite the cherubic newborn he would be in a few days or weeks but he would do, Regina supposed. "He's beautiful," Regina murmured the expected. "What's his name?" she asked, glancing up at Snow, still bent over him.

 

"We haven't decided yet actually," David said. "But we have a couple of choices we've been tossing around."

 

"We wanted to have a naming ceremony for him," Snow added.

 

Regina wondered if they had considered how Emma would feel, having missed out on this ceremony herself but watching Neal have it as she would watch him have so many of the other things she had been denied. She hoped Snow would figure it out in time. The last thing Regina wanted to be was involved. "It sounds lovely, dear," Regina lied.

 

"David, why don't you go get Emma and Henry," Snow suggested.

 

"Good idea," David agreed and bent to give both Snow and his son a kiss, one on the lips and the other on the forehead. He hesitated and cupped Snow's cheek. "You're beautiful."

 

Snow laughed. "And you're a sweet liar. Go," she added with a shove to get him started toward the door. There was silence for a moment and then Snow said, "Do you want to hold him?" Her head sagged back against the pillows. "I'm so tired."

 

Regina didn't answer, wasn't sure what to say, but she bent to take the tightly swaddled bundle from Snow anyway. She smiled at the comforting, familiar weight of a baby in her arms and then frowned. This wasn't what she wanted at all. Not at all. Regina tried to put him down. She tried to back away. She couldn't. One hand supported the babe's head correctly, the other lifted and swished back down. They disappeared in a cloud of purple even as Regina tried to fight it, tried to lock her magic down, screw the spell up, anything to make it stop happening. Snow's screams echoed in her ears long after they were gone and Regina had placed the babe in Zelena's arms.

 


	10. Chapter Nine

Snow's scream of pure, unabating pain was the first thing that told Emma something was very wrong. It wasn't like all the ones that had come before. Those had been almost defiant. This one was desperate and devoid of any hope. It was a scream of loss. "Stay," Emma told Henry and drew her gun, changing the clip out with a fresh one from her front pocket as she jogged into Snow's room. She hesitated a moment at the door and ducked in checking for flying monkeys even though she and Regina had put every protection they could around this small room. Her brother was supposed to have every protection when he was born. Regina had promised Snow.

 

But Regina was nowhere to be found and David was holding Snow, his fingers bunched in the thin sleeve of her hospital gown so tightly his knuckles had gone white. Snow was still screaming and David was wrapped around her, muttering soothing words that were doing absolutely nothing.

 

"What the hell happened?" Emma demanded. It took her less than instant to notice that there was no Regina and no infant. "Did Zelena get in?"

 

David tried to answer, but Emma couldn't hear him. "Snow!" She snapped in a roar almost as loud as Snow's scream. "Stop it." A flash of the doctor taking Henry out of Emma's arms and walking away bit through Emma's mind. She shoved it and the gasp of pain like a blow to the solar plexus that came with it away. There wasn't time to remember now. "If you want him back then you have to tell me what happened."

 

Snow's screams abated into jerky hiccuping sobs as she gasped for breath and tried to collect herself. "Re, Re, Regina," she stuttered, finally managing to get the word together. "She came in to see the baby and she, she took." She grabbed Emma's arm so hard it drew blood. "Emma, she took my baby." The color had drained from her face, leaving her cheeks, blotchy red spots from the exertion of labor, standing out harshly against the rest of her face. "I'm going to kill her."

 

The jarring nature of Snow's plain spoken threat shook Emma for an instant. She couldn't think. "Mom wouldn't take a baby," Henry said stoutly from behind Emma. "She wouldn't, not now, and especially not yours, Grandma." Thank god for Henry never listening, Emma thought. The voice of reason had arrived. Her head was so jumbled up with conflicting feelings and a whiplash of emotions that it was hard for Emma to think at all. It had been hours of confusion and tension and terror and it had all left her numb, but she couldn't stop now.

 

"Henry's right," Emma said and started to pace back and forth across the hospital room. "Regina wouldn't steal your baby, Snow."

 

"But she did," Snow hissed, pushing herself up in the bed and gasping as something in her abdomen protested the sudden movement. "We saw her."

 

"Maybe it wasn't Regina," David said slowly, looking up at Emma and Henry. "But it looked like her."

 

"There are a lot of things that can look like other people," Henry said helpfully, a little too eagerly. Sometimes he got too caught up in the magic and beasts and forgot it was life threatening kind of stuff, not fun geekery. "Belle would know."

 

"We don't have time for research," Emma said. There were other things that could make Regina do something she didn't want to. A threat against Henry's life that she couldn't prevent for one. But trading a baby for Henry's life... Emma had seen Regina with Ashley's baby a few times when the Mayor thought no one else was watching. She had a suspicion Regina had a soft spot for all children, not just Henry. Throw in it being Snow's child and all their history and Emma just couldn't see it. Regina had seemed fine when she walked away from Emma, but maybe she had missed something. That whole conversation had been excruciating and awkward and Emma still couldn't believe they'd had it. "I judged Regina too quickly once before," Emma said, thinking of when she had seen Regina "murder" Archie in the magical dreamcatcher and it had been Cora in disguise. "I won't make that same mistake again. We're going to find her and help her. You stay here, kid. I need you safe. I have an idea."

 

"You'll need help," David said, stepping away from Emma's side and crossing to where his sword and cloak were thrown over a chair.

 

"You have to say here," Emma said. "Snow and Henry need you." And Henry had told her on the way over to the hospital how Zelena had stolen David's courage. She wasn't sure how he would react now and that was dangerous. If he fell apart in the middle of a violent situation it would make him a liability and hinder her more than it would help.

 

David's eyes narrowed, but he didn't protest. "Take this then," he said, holding his sword out to her. "And I'll make some calls. We have more allies this time."

 

Henry grinned behind her. "Robin Hood and his Merry Men, Emma!" He sounded so excited, Emma couldn't help but smile.

 

"Okay," Emma said. "Have them meet me at the mansion." She took the sword from David. It felt bulky and awkward, but it only took her a moment to fashion a harness that went over her shoulders and let the sword hilt ride above her right shoulder. "Stay safe, kid," she told Henry and tousled his hair. He slammed into her and hugged her tight.

 

"You too, Mom," he muttered into her shoulder. "Love you. Bring Mom back."

 

"I will, Henry," Emma promised and hoped she wouldn't have reason to regret it. As much as she hated it sometimes the kid needed them both.

 

* * *

Emma drove back to the mansion like a mad woman, the tires squealing as they rounded corners. She didn't stop for anything, nearly hitting several pedestrians who hadn't learned to get out of the way of irate Savior's before she made it there. The ingredients for the locator spell were still out on the table where Regina had left them when they went searching for Henry, beside it a book left open to a page. Emma almost threw it across the room when she bent to read it. The words were in a language she couldn't decipher. She had never thought to ask her mother or Snow if writing had been different in the Enchanted Forest or maybe it was just magic.

 

"Hello?" A deep, calm voice called out. Footsteps echoed in the foyer, first one set and then more filed in. Emma whirled, gun in hand, and came face to face with a handsome man, his face covered in a scruffy beard and wearing mostly green. A crossbow stuck up from behind his back.

 

"Robin Hood?" Emma hazarded.

 

He shot her a cocky grin. "The one and only."

 

This guy. Despite the attitude, Emma thought she might like him. Some other time when she wasn't in a hurry to save her baby brother and her... her... whatever the hell Regina was to her. Her friend. Her kid's other mother. That was plenty. "Can you read this?" Emma asked, shoving the book at him.

 

To his credit, he didn't pause to ask questions, just bent over the book, brow furrowed as he concentrated. "It seems to be a spell of some sort."

 

"Got that," Emma said. She was trying to reign in her irritation at how long this was taking. Really. "How much of what thing?"

 

The rest of the Merry Men spread out through the house as the worked. Securing the area, Emma supposed. She was just glad they weren't being a distraction. In short order they had the spell together and then it was time.

 

"What will this do?" Robin asked as he saw her hesitating.

 

"It will tell me where Regina is," Emma answered. "If I can do it." But Regina had said she could. That had to count for something. It wasn't like Regina had ever been her biggest fan. If even she thought Emma could do this, then it had to be a lock. "Just add a little magic," Emma muttered and raised her hands as she had seen Regina do. "Do you know how to drive?" Emma asked in an afterthought, as she began to pour magic out of her hands and into the ingredients in front of her. The light swirled up between her hands and she almost fell over in relief. There was no way she could drive like this. She was barely holding the magic together as it was as she couldn't exactly go hands free.

 

"No," Hood said. "Your iron beasts are beyond me for now, but we've managed to secure other conveyance. Direct us and we'll get you there." He nodded with such certainty that Emma just believed him. Maybe it was too many afternoons with no other entertainment than old Disney VHSs but there was just something about the guy that made him impossible to distrust.

 

"Okay, let's go then." The Merry Men moved out around them and they left the mansion, empty as it had been before. Emma decided she much prefered it as it had been that morning, echoing with Henry's laughter and the rich, fragrant scents of Regina's cooking and her occasional sharp comment. "No way," Emma snapped when she stepped outside and saw the small band of horses on Regina's front lawn. One munched on the flowers. Emma suspected he wouldn't have a long life once Regina found out about it.

 

"Are you unfamiliar with horses?" Hood asked, as if it were a possibility he had never considered. "I can lead yours."

 

"No, that's the problem," Emma said. "They hate me. I can barely hang on when I have both hands."

 

Hood grimaced. "You'll have to ride before me then." It sounded horrible to Emma, but there didn't seem to be any other option. She nodded.

 

It took two men and a lot of grimacing and cursing to get Emma up on his horse and a lot of concentration and sheer will power to maintain the locator spell while they did it.

 

"Watch the hands, bud," Emma snapped when Robin had sprung up behind her and settled his hands on her hips.

 

"My honor is known throughout the land, lady," Robin said indignantly. “I thought of nothing but to steady you.”

 

“Just keep it that way,” Emma muttered. “This way,” she pointed him in the right direction with a jerk of her chin.

 

The ride through the forest was a pretty shitty stop on the list of Emma’s life experiences. Probably right above trying to face down that ogre with nothing but a gun, and it seemed to take forever. Cars were so much faster and she was already getting used to go from one place to another with a wave of Regina’s hand. She wondered if Regina could teach her that. She would ask whenever they got her out of this mess. There was no doubt in Emma’s mind that they were in this mess. Not just them. Regina was in it too. She wasn’t working with this Zelena, even if she was some kind of long lost sister.

 

The ride did give Emma time to think and plan. “Are you really a thief?” Emma called over her shoulder as they rode. She felt Robin stiffen behind her.

 

“Such a question could start a duel in the land where I’m from,” Robin stated.

 

“It’s a little hard to duel on a horse and we’re not in the Enchanted Forest,” Emma shot back. “But it wasn’t an insult.” She shrugged. “I was too.”

 

Emma could almost feel his frown. “I thought you were a Sheriff and a Princess.”

 

“Everyone had a life before this one,” Emma said.

 

“Fair enough,” Robin agreed. “Aye, I was. But as the legends say, I wasn’t after riches for myself.”

 

“That’s great,” Emma said. “I’m more interested at how good you are at sneaking. This Zelena chick handed Regina her ass and I think I just got lucky.”

 

“It’s because you have light magic,” Robin said firmly. “It was what Glinda the Good said was the only thing that could stop Zelena.”

 

“Yeah, well, I’m not taking any chances with Regina or baby bro, and that’s not accounting for Gold,” Emma said. “We’re gonna do this like she can kick our asses with one hand tied behind her back. She won’t even know we’re there until we’re gone.”

 

Robin laughed, a rich chuckle that was almost impossible not to join. “You may be the first sheriff I’ve ever liked, Swan.”

 

Emma grinned and then hesitated, but she had to ask. “Are you really as good with that bow as they say?”

 

Robin gave cocky grin. “Better.”

 

* * *

Regina stood with her back against one of the barn’s great support beams. There were no ropes, handcuffs or visible restraints holding her there. No spells kept her in place. Only Zelena’s hand on her heart, a malicious grin and a whisper of, “Don’t move.”

 

Just that simply, Regina had been undone. There wasn’t even any struggle like there had been with Mother. Her own heart had betrayed her. There had been many “worsts” in Regina’s life, many times she had found a new one when she had no longer thought it possible. Today had been another. Tears had slipped down her cheeks as she had handed the babe over to Zelena, carefully depositing him into her sister’s arms. Snow hadn’t even had a chance to name him yet. It would probably be something horrible that Regina would hate. If she dared to name him Leopold, Regina would blow something up. But it seemed so wrong that he didn’t even have a name yet.

 

Zelena had placed him at one corner of the giant spell that she had inscribed on the barn floor. Regina’s heart sat at another and there were other things at the remaining points. The low thrum of building magic in the air told Regina it wouldn’t be long now. Zelena’s spell was in motion. Soon she would be able to do whatever she had planned and there was nothing Regina could do stop her. At Rumple’s suggestion, Zelena had taken her phone when she had arrived and no one knew where she was. Even if they cared. They might come for the child, but they would assume she was working with Zelena. Of course they would. They had assumed it all before, but this time was different. Regina would never risk Henry’s life.

 

“Hey,” the voice was so quiet Regina almost missed. “Regina.” There was no denying it this time. Regina remained frozen, but cast her eyes around looking for the source. “Behind you,” the voice said. “I’m outside.” This time Regina had heard enough to identify the voice.

 

“Emma!” Regina managed to keep her voice down to a hiss. “Zelena has my heart. She’s controlling me.”

 

“Shit.” The curse Emma breathed out was gratifyingly horrified. “That’s why you took junior.”

 

“Of course,” Regina snapped. “I would never-”

 

“I know, okay,” Emma reassured her quickly. “That’s what Henry and I told Snow.”

 

“Snow?” Regina made it into a question.

 

There was a pause. “She’s had better days,” Emma admitted. “Don’t worry about it now. We need to get you out of here.”

 

“I can see my heart,” Regina breathed, straining forwards against nothing. She couldn’t twitch so much as finger toward it. Not as long as Zelena remained in possession of her heart. “It’s right out in the open. In the middle of the floor.” She hesitated. “Emma, listen. Forget about my heart. Zelena is trying to do some kind of spell. She intends to erase this world and everything in it. She wants to kill Henry and make me watch and then erase his life completely.”

 

“Like hell,” Emma blurted.

 

“You need to get the child and go,” Regina urged her. “I don’t think Zelena can perform the spell if she doesn’t have all the things she needs. He must be one of them.”

 

“Yeah, and so is your heart,” Emma snapped. “We’re going to get him out too, but I don’t think we can do this without you. Your heart first, then Junior.”

 

“And how do you propose to get my heart without alerting Zelena or the Dark One, Miss Swan?” Regina snapped. It was impossible.

 

“Well,” Emma said. “I’ve got me and I’ve got one of the greatest thieves of legend. Pretty sure we’re gonna steal it.” Regina could almost see her grin. “Be right back.”

 

Regina closed her eyes in a futile attempt at blocking out the idiocy of this plan. It would be a disaster and she would be forced to watch it all unfold in front of her without being able to do a thing about it. When she realized she was straining to catch the slightest sound, Regina opened her eyes. Zelena and Rumple paced outside the barn, both looking like long-tailed cats in a room full of rocking chairs. So they were waiting for prepared and waiting for the heroes to arrive and attempt to thwart Regina's plan. The former villain in Regina approved her sister's planning at least, even as she railed against her intentions.

 

There was a faint whisper of sound, fabric against wood and Regina glanced up. Emma descended toward the center of the spell in some kind of rope harness. Occasionally Emma would glance up above where Regina was standing. That must be where Robin Hood had secreted himself. Regina watched with baited breath as Emma made her descent, hesitating once when it looked as if Zelena might come back inside. She had gone back to her pacing and Emma had continued her descent. She landed with a faint scrape as the soles of her shoes rasped across the dusty concrete. Emma sprinted toward her heart where it sat served up on a golden platter, not wasting time undoing the harness. As soon as she had it, Emma tucked the heart inside her jacket - in a very secure place, Regina hoped.

 

Emma glanced over at where Regina stood, her hand still on Regina's heart. For an instant she thought Emma was going to counter Zelena's command and tell her to come over there so she could give her heart back. Regina's stomach churned at the thought. Not like this. But Emma only patted her jacket again to make sure it was secure, before she gave a the rope a tug and tried to balance as best as she could as the rope was pulled up. Regina watched the swaying, perilous journey until she couldn't follow Emma anymore. Pinned in place as she was, her angle of vision was limited.

 

Pop! Regina would have jerked at the noise just behind her if she could have. She forced herself to take one deep breath and then another until she was calm again. There was nothing, but silence and the darkness of this shadowed corner of the barn. "Emma?" Regina risked breathing into the emptiness.

 

"'Fraid not, sis," Zelena said with a mocking laugh.

 

Did Zelena know Emma had retrieved her heart yet? Surely not. Perhaps if Regina could distract her long enough Emma would have a chance to get away. Or finish up whatever her ridiculous plan was. "Mother would be ashamed, you know?" Regina said, as if she had been invited to an offer a critique. "Your plan is overly complicated and relying on Rumplestiltskin is a terrible long term strategy. He'll always betray you in the end."

 

"I think not," Zelena snapped. She slunk around in front of Regina. "I'm doing something that's never been done before. You can't even say that. How trite and unoriginal was your life, Regina? Nothing for Mother to be proud of," she hissed. "Everyone will know my name."

 

Regina's eyes narrowed. Zelena was right, of course. She had spent years trying to earn Mother's pride and approval without ever seeming to do enough to earn it. Not even forcing herself to forget Daniel and trying to be the best queen she could be for Leopold had been enough. She wouldn't give Zelena the satisfaction of knowing that though. "You haven't done it yet," Regina pointed out. "Get back to me when you've done more than talk, dear."

 

"Oh, I will," Zelena drawled. "But first I have to crush your precious Savior's delusions of grandeur. Now do stay quiet."

 

The hope that Regina had realized had been growing steadily vanished in an instant at Zelena's words. She opened her mouth to say something, hoping that Zelena's words wouldn't be effective now that Emma had her heart, but before she could, Zelena waved her hand and Regina found herself unable to speak. She glared at Zelena and in that instant, she would have unleashed a thousand fireballs on the woman if she could have. With another small use of magic, Zelena had whisked Regina away into the corner, hidden behind a stack of boxes. It was in the deepest shadows and while Regina could see where she had stood before, there was no way anyone would be able to see her.

 

"If you'll excuse me," Zelena murmured into her ear when she had Regina propped up again. "I have a date with destiny. Be right back." Regina was forced to watch as Zelena transformed, not just the close she was wearing but her whole body until Regina was staring at herself. "Ugh," Zelena said, with a glance down at her body. "I hope this doesn't take long." She shook her head and strode back over to where Regina had been, assuming the same pose Regina had been forced into it.

 

This time Emma dropped down beside Zelena instead of whispering to Regina from between the thin slats of the barn walls. "Hey," Emma said, reaching into her jacket and bringing it out with a triumphant grin. "Got your heart."

 

"Oh, Emma," Zelena breathed and threw her arms around Emma's neck. Regina hoped she had never worn that nauseating look of devotion herself. Really this was completely unfair. Emma wouldn't fall for it for a second.  

 

"Hey," Emma squeaked. Her arms came up around "Regina's" body and her hands rested on "Regina's" hips. "What's, uh, what's this all about?" she mumbled.

 

Was that...had Zelena just...that traitorous witch had just kissed Emma's neck! "Regina?" Regina hadn't even known that Emma's voice could get that high. "Uh, Regina, I think we should uh, talk first," Emma mumbled stepping back from "her". "Or at least get your heart back in your chest, you know?"

 

"But I missed you so much," Zelena cooed. "You saved me. Can't I thank you for that?" She trailed her hand down Emma's chest until the palm of her hand rest right over Emma's left breast. Regina couldn't believe she was being forced to watch this. She would tear Zelena limb from limb when she got free. She would tell Ms. Swan how much of an idiot she had been for falling for this silly act. Did Emma really see her as some hormonal teenager too stupid to get them out of danger before she let feelings get the best of her? Was that what Emma wanted? If it was, she and Emma were much farther apart than she had ever imagined. She had overestimated Emma. Zelena leaned in to kiss Emma and Regina didn't miss the hitch in Emma's breathing, the way she sucked in a sharp breath at "Regina's" nearness. It would be almost gratifying if the woman wasn't being such a fool.

 

A light tap on Regina's shoulder; she was glad she couldn't scream or jump. She had to squint against the darkness after she had been looking out at Emma and Zelena in the light, but after her eyes adjusted she made out Robin Hood. He stood with a finger pressed to his lips and when he saw that Regina had recognized him began cutting away the ropes that bound her. Robin made quick work of it. Regina was about to demand how he had known she was hidden over there when she remembered his plea for silence. Then Regina saw the faint glow and made out the dark shape Robin held out to her. It was her heart, glimmers of red seeping out between the darkness that swirled around it. She took it from him, snatching it from her hand and shoving it back into her chest.

 

Emotion hit her again, rich, thick and overwhelming. It would have driven her to her knees if Robin hadn't caught her arm. The terror of Henry's abduction. The agony of stealing Snow's child from her again when she had been so determined to protect Snow this time and make certain she wasn't hurt that way again. The seething rage of watching her sister kiss Emma. Somehow she had known and Regina almost hated that worst of all. She had tried to take something that might have been Regina's and make it cheap and worthless. It was the thought of what she had promised to do to Henry that stopped the whirlwind of emotion and allowed Regina to pull herself back together. No one could hurt Henry. It was the absolute truth of Regina's world and she would do anything to ensure that. Regina pulled herself back together with sheer force of will. It took several deep breaths, but she managed it.

 

"That's not her heart!" Zelena exclaimed and Regina's head jerked up. Of course. If Robin Hood had held her heart, then the one in Emma's hand was a fake. It meant she had known all along that Regina wasn't the real one. She was just playing along to distract Regina. A distraction that had just rapidly come to an end. Zelena shoved Emma away from her and screamed, the chords of her neck standing out harshly against green skin. "Rumplestiltskin! Finish what you started. Kill her!"

 

"As you wish, dearie," Rumple said appearing behind Emma. Dark magic crackled from his fingers. Emma dove aside and the magic missed her at the last instant. A wisps of it singed her hair and several pieces fell from her head, withering into nothingness as they hit the floor. Emma kept scrambling and Regina ran. Together she and Emma had fought the Dark One to a standstill before. They could do it again.

 

"Not so fast, sis," Zelena said and darted out in front of Regina to block her path. "I think this is something they need to settle themselves."

 

Behind Zelena green light pulsed and Regina tensed. The magic of Zelena's spell was building. They couldn't just save Emma from the Dark One. They had to stop the spell too and there wasn't much time left. Regina launched a ball of fire at Zelena but it wasn't intended to be a serious attack. Two could play at the game of distraction. More fireballs followed in quick succession. Zelena was forced to pay attention to Regina as she batted them away with irritated waves of her hand and tried to keep herself between Regina and the moving display of how to survive the Dark One that was Emma and Rumplestiltskin.

 

There was a blur of motion to Regina's left, but unlike everyone else it was moving vertically. Robin Hood vaulted up a bale of hay, swung up on a rafter and gained the barn's second level. Perching himself the crook of two beams, he began firing. Like Regina his quick succession of shots were meant to be a distraction, but unlike her his target was Rumplestiltskin. Regina's newly restored heart caught in her throat as Emma bent double, taking advantage of the time Rumplestiltskin had needed to brush aside Robin Hood's arrows to catch her breath, and then took off again. She had to sprint double time to avoid his attacks, ducking behind beams and dodging hay rakes. Once Emma had to skid almost to a stop to avoid Rumple's blast of magic. Then she was running again. Rumple's ability to disappear and reappear wherever he wanted to at a whim wasn't helping any and Robin Hood would run out of arrows soon. He had to. If only he'd been given a never ending quiver instead of Hook's ever refilling flask of rum. That at least would be useful.

 

Regina almost tripped over the brazier on the floor. It wasn't the one she had been manipulating Zelena into letting her get near. It held the broken hilt of a sword. The literal representation of David's courage, Regina supposed, but it was a start. Regina scooped it up and threw it at Zelena.

 

"How dare you?" Zelena hissed, forced to dodge as it flew past her cheek.

 

"I'm sorry," Regina said with a roll of her eyes. "I thought we were trying to kill one another."

 

"Yes, but that might have left a scar," Zelena said, clutching her hand to the cheek it had so nearly missed.

 

Regina shook her head. "You won't win. Not with Emma and I working together."

 

"Big words for someone who's losing so badly," Zelena taunted. "Look around you. The precious Savior has no chance against the Dark One and you have no chance against me. Only light magic can defeat me and your bitter, blackened heart can't produce any." She laughed and David hit her from behind, his shoulder catching her mid-back. He drove her to the ground like a linebacker.

 

"Mom!" Henry called out as he sprinted to her across the barn's wide entrance. He slammed into her almost as hard as David had hit Zelena, but Regina was braced for it and only staggered a few steps back. "We came to help. Grandma couldn't just sit at the hospital."

 

"You shouldn't be here," Regina snapped. "Get away from her, David." But it was too late. Magic crackled from Zelena's fingertips and David went flying away from her. He landed in a pile of hay bales. Snow ran toward the baby and Zelena sent her flying too.

 

"Brought more cannon fodder, sis?" Zelena demanded with a laugh. She lashed out at Regina with magic again. Regina shoved Henry behind her, but couldn't get her hands up in time to defend herself. It caught her left side and she crumpled to the ground.

 

"Mom!" Henry shrieked. He wrapped his arms around her and tried to pull Regina back out of Zelena's reach.

 

Zelena didn't wait. She appeared behind Henry and slipped one hand around his throat. She held his head back at a painful angle and her other hand out from the side of his head. The green light of her magic flickered between her fingers. "One move and he dies." She leaned forward and stared down at Regina. "Isn't that what you were trying to avoid?"

 

Something exploded before Regina could respond. Henry ducked instinctively, but Zelena's grip on him only tightened. Regina saw Emma fly through the air and hit one of the large support beams that held up the roof with a sickening crunch. She slid down it and lay sprawled limply on the floor. She didn't move.

 

"Emma." Regina's hands clenched into fists and she pushed herself back to her feet. She couldn't save anyone, not even Henry. Zelena's spell was still building. The green light behind them was almost continually pulsing now and it grew brighter with each passing second. "I'm sorry, Henry," Regina whispered. She would do anything to save him, but there was nothing left to do. Nothing but... She looked at Zelena. "Kill me. End this. But let him live."

 

"Mom!" Henry's scream was louder this time and he fought against Zelena, kicking and hitting her, scratching and shoving until he got free of her grip. He fell on the ground when she let go, but didn't stop, scrambling toward Regina. Zelena was so startled, she released the magic that had been waiting in her hand but it missed him. It hit the ground next to him, exploding and showering them with bits of rock and earth. "You can't! You can beat her," Henry said, grabbing Regina as he got to her.

 

"Henry, I don't have light magic," Regina protested.

 

"But you do," Henry countered, squeezing her hand tightly as she pulled him to his feet. "You broke the curse with True Love's kiss. That's pure light magic. You can do it, Mom. I know it."

 

"Henry..." It wasn't that Regina wanted to believe, but she knew herself. She had seen her heart and...

 

"You can save everyone," Henry said, so earnestly that it broke Regina's heart. His back had been to Emma. He hadn't seen.

 

"Too late," Zelena said and raised her hands toward the center of the spell she had built. "I win!"

 

"No," Regina said. "I won't let you. No one else is going to die here today." She might not have been able to save Emma but there were so many others here to save. Henry, most of all, but Snow, too, and David. Their son. She wouldn't let any of them down. There had been enough death. It was bitter on her tongue and heavy in her heart. Regina raised her hands again and hoped. Light magic, unlike anything she had ever cast before, flowed from her fingertips and toward Zelena. It hit Zelena with as much force as Rumplestiltskin had hit Emma and sent her skidding backwards across the floor into the center of the spell. Brilliant white light met green around and beyond Zelena and everything exploded outwards. The wave of magic hit Regina and Henry and knocked them down like bowling pins.

 

Regina was the first one to stagger to her feet. She had shielded she and Henry as best as she could, but there was no way to keep them completely safe from that powerful of magic. "Are you okay?" Regina asked Henry. He took her offered hand and pulled himself to his feet.

 

"Fine," Henry said, grinning at her. "I told you you could do it!"

 

"And you were right," Regina admitted. The magic had left her weak and shaky in a way that disturbed her, but she wasn't about to admit that to Henry. He had enough to worry about now. David and Snow ran past as if they couldn't even see Regina and Henry, headed for the golden brazier that held their son. A low groan broke the silence that seemed deafening after the chaos and confusion of two magical brawls and an epic spell meant to destroy life as they knew it. Regina's head jerked up. That sound had come from the far wall. She ran with Henry right behind her and slid into the dirt at Emma's side. "Emma." She picked Emma's hand up in hers and squeezed it tight.

 

"Mom!" Henry cried as he realized it was Emma lying there on the ground and knelt beside Regina. "Is she going to be okay?"

 

"I don't know," Regina said, her attention unfocused as she felt over Emma's body for injuries. There was a knot on the back of Emma's head and her fingers came away bloody, but... There was a pulse fluttering against Regina's fingers at her throat and her chest still rose up and down in a steady rhythm. "Maybe." Regina slapped Emma's cheek, perhaps harder than she had intended to and Emma groaned again. Then her eyes began to flutter open.

 

"R'gina?" Emma mumbled as she struggled to get her eyes to focus. "Wha' was tha' for?"

 

"Scaring me," Regina snapped. "And our son."

 

"'s okay," Emma said, sounding a little stronger, a little more coherent this time. "Had it under control."

 

"The Dark One was using you as a rag doll," Regina corrected acerbically. She hung on to Emma's hand tighter though when Emma squeezed hers and used it to pull herself up. Emma almost fell back over again as Henry flung his arms around her.

 

"Oof, Kid," Emma protested, but she was holding on him too, stroking his hair. Regina kept her hand on Emma's shoulder to steady them both.

 

A knot of emotion was welling up in Regina's throat. It was hard to breathe through all the relief and confusion. "How?" she whispered, not caring if Emma heard her or not. Regina couldn't believe it. She had known Emma had to be dead. The way she had hit the beam, then lying there not moving. Worst of all the Dark One had stopped attacking her and he would only do that if his mission had been completed. Zelena had told him to finish it.

 

"Because I had this," Robin Hood said, strolling up to them with a grin on his handsome features. He brandished the Dark One's knife. "There's more than one way for a thief to win and you had the witch nicely distracted." He half-bowed to Regina in acknowledgement. "A well executed plan."

 

"It won't be the only thing executed here today, if you don't give back what doesn't belong to you, dearie," Rumplestiltskin hissed. His hands rested on either side of Robin's head. No one had seen or heard him approached. Perhaps he had just appeared. It didn't matter. The look on his face made it clear he would kill Robin if the dagger wasn't given back immediately.

 

"I have no quarrel with you, Dark One," Robin said. He made no move to get free or try to flee, and held very still like a rabbit under a coyote's predatory gaze. "The dagger is yours. I only sought to free you from the witch's hold so you wouldn't have to kill Swan, here."

 

"Hand it here," Rumplestiltskin snapped.

 

Robin raised the hand that held it slowly. His skin pale and the cocky good cheer gone from his features. Rumplestiltskin snatched it from him, cast one look over Emma, Henry and Regina and disappeared. "Guess he didn't feel like being social," Emma muttered.

 

Robin exhaled. "I believe I'm just happy he's gone and I'm still breathing."

 

Regina shot him a relieved smile. "That's the best way to end any deal with the Dark One." Emma whimpered and Regina glanced down at her. Emma was too pale by far and Regina didn't like the way she was looking at all. They needed to get her to a hospital or... "Will you let me heal you, if I can?" Regina asked.

 

Emma looked wary, but nodded and then groaned as she immediately regretted the gesture. Regina raised one hand and let the light magic flow from her. It came easier this time. Practice? Or because she was using it to heal Emma. Only time would tell. In a moment, Emma was looking better. Color returned to her cheeks and she had lost some of the alarming frailty her movements had contained a moment ago.

 

"Better?" Regina asked.

 

"Oh yeah," Emma said. This time when she nodded no pained sound followed. She glanced up at Regina and then down again. She bit her lip and then raised her hand as if she wanted to touch Regina, but stopped herself mid-motion. "Your heart?"

 

Regina took Emma's hand and pressed it to her chest. "Right where it should be." One side of her lips quirked upwards. "Thanks to your idiotic plan."

 

"Hey!" Emma protested. "That was a good plan. It worked, didn't it?"

 

"Yes, dear," Regina agreed, letting her tone make it clear that she was humoring Emma. She made no move to remove Emma's hand from her chest though, nor did Emma. Henry was still pressed against Emma's side, frozen there when the Dark One had shown up and refusing to move while Regina healed Emma. Regina dropped her other arm over his shoulders and kissed his forehead without moving him away from Emma. They were alive. They had all made it out the other side and Emma had her memories back. They deserved to celebrate however they wanted.

 

The moment didn't last long. Emma began to squirm even before Henry did, trying to sit up straighter. "I should go check on them," Emma said, with a nod of her head in Snow and Charming's directions where they sat on the barn floor. Snow held the baby and Charming was wrapped protectively around them both as Snow rocked gently back and forth.

 

"Of course," Regina said. She was surprised at how cold she felt when Emma removed her hand. Emma tugged Henry to his feet when she stood and then offered Regina her hand. Regina took it and allowed Emma to help her up. Was she imagining the small squeeze Emma gave it before she let go and walked toward Snow and David? Perhaps. Perhaps not.

 

Henry slid an arm around her waist. "I told you you could do it," he repeated, grinning up at her with pride.

 

"Mmm," Regina said noncommittally. She still remembered the way her heart had stopped when Zelena had grabbed him. She stopped walking and wrapped her arms around him. "Don't ever make it necessary again."

 


	11. Epilogue

The harsh light of the waiting room seemed especially glaring at this late hour of the night. Regina closed her eyes and wished she could fall asleep. It had been a long day, full of danger, fear and too much magic. She was too restless to relax though, even with the reassuring sounds of Henry sitting beside her playing games on her phone.

 

"Hey." Emma's voice was low like maybe she was hoping Regina had been able to sleep.

 

"Miss Swan," Regina responded, opening her eyes and sitting up.

 

Emma wrinkled her nose at Regina's formality and Regina stifled a smile. It wouldn't do to let Emma know she enjoyed that bit of banter. "Snow and the baby are fine. Whale's run every test on them he can think of and junior's doing good. He's eaten and slept and, well..." Emma grimaced again.

 

Regina couldn't help it. She laughed. "He did what baby's do best," she suggested.

 

"Yeah, that," Emma agreed. "Anyway, Snow wants to see you."

 

Regina's blood froze in her veins. She and Snow hadn't spoken since Zelena's hand on her heart had forced her into Snow's hospital room and sent her after the infant. Emma and Henry had accompanied Snow, David and the baby back to the hospital while Regina and Robin Hood had escorted Zelena to the sheriff's station and locked her in one of the cells.

 

It was when they had stripped Zelena of the jewel that contained her powers that Robin suggested laying protective spells around the jail and her cell specifically.

 

"There are many folk she hurt who might be out for vengeance," Robin pointed out and Regina had agreed.  

 

"People and the Dark One," Regina added. She had been thinking and Zelena had been responsible for the death of his son. There was no way that Rumpelstiltskin would just let that go. She had done the spells as best she could and added the protection of light magic to it. Then she had left Robin to watch over her until Emma could get her sheriff station back in order. It was the best she could do.

 

When she had arrived at the hospital, she had found Emma and Henry waiting outside Snow's room. Eventually David had come out to get Emma and now Emma had come to get Emma. It was starting to feel like some elaborate ceremony and Regina wished she knew what Snow had planned. She wouldn't put it past Snow.

 

"David and I will stay out here with the kid," Emma said, as if that was what Regina was worried about.

 

Regina managed not to roll her eyes and stood. Best to face this and get it over with. She owed Snow that much at least. Regina stopped just inside the door and made no move to come any closer to Snow or the babe. "Snow."

 

"Emma told me what happened. That your sister had stolen your heart and you had no choice but to do what you did," Snow said. She couldn't hold Regina's eyes for long, constantly glancing down at the infant in her arms. Not as Regina had thought at first because she couldn't stand to look at Regina, but she was that besotted with the child. Snow stroked his cheek with the back of finger and gazed upon him with adoring eyes. Regina remembered those days with Henry.

 

"That's true," Regina said. She wasn't comfortable with that explanation. It seemed like too much of an excuse for her actions. She should never have allowed things to get so far out of hand today. "Snow-"

 

"I was angry," Snow cut her off. "I wanted to destroy you, tear you limb from limb for taking my child from me again."

 

Regina met her gaze without blinking. "I would feel the same."

 

"I know," Snow said. "But I don't want to feel that way. We were a team in the Enchanted Forest - you, David and I. I don't want to lose that. It was... nice. Really nice after years of fighting each other. I don't want to go back to that."

 

Regina felt it coming in the same way she had felt Zelena's spell building earlier. Snow was going to ask her for something, something huge and outrageous and because Regina owed her, she would give it to her. This, at least, was familiar. "Of course not, dear," Regina agreed, wishing she could go, that she was back in her home with Henry and Emma already.

 

"I'm so glad you agree," Snow said with an eager smile. "David and I were discussing godparents earlier. Who we would want to be there for our child if we couldn't be. We thought about asking Emma to be her godmother, but we want Emma to be able to be a big sister without having to play any other roles."

 

"Thoughtful of you," Regina murmured under her breath. Snow didn’t pause to acknowledge the comment.

 

"So instead we decided to ask you. Will you be our son's godmother?" Snow asked, still smiling like she was giving Regina the biggest treat. "Please, say yes. I want you to know I understand. You didn't do it on purpose. You did everything you could to protect him and we wanted to honor that."

 

Regina opened her mouth to say yes. "No." The word hung heavy in the air between them.

 

"Regina-" Snow began.

 

Regina held up a hand to cut her off. "I love Henry with my whole heart. I would do anything for him, and you're right. While we were in the Enchanted Forest, I came to see you and David as a family of sorts, but I won't do this." She stepped closer to Snow. "You may have forgotten why I tried to kill you, but I haven't. I saved a child and what that child wanted was considered so important I had no choice but to obey her father and my mother's whim. I lost any chance for the life I chose, the man I loved. I was sworn to protect and care for the child that I had saved and came to hate more than anyone else in the world. I destroyed myself and everyone I loved because of her. I won't do it again."

 

"Regina, I," Snow spluttered. "It's not the same."

 

"No, it's not," Regina said. "But I won't do it. I can't." She raised her chin at Snow. "If you care for me at all, don't ask me to do this."

 

Snow watched her in silence for a long moment before she finally nodded. "Will you hold him at least before you go?"

 

Sometimes Regina wondered why Snow put them both through this. She could see the way Snow's fingers were curled into the boy's blanket. Snow didn't want to let him go and for all that Snow irritated her at times, she didn't want to torture Snow today. Regina wanted go home with her family. "Very well," Regina said and stepped forward. She wanted to get this over with as quickly as possible, but instead she perched on the edge of Snow's bed, letting her heels slip off her feet and clatter to the floor. Perhaps Snow would appreciate that it would be hard to run away like this. "Hand him here."

 

Snow's hands shook as she put him in Regina's arm, but she managed to let him go without hesitation. Regina wondered how long it had been before Snow had let even David take him. "He's beautiful," Regina said, and as newborns went, he was. "Have you and David decided on a name for him yet?"

 

"No," Snow said, her expression softening as she watched him. Her gaze flicked up to Regina. "We could name him after you." Snow's lips quirked upwards in a teasing smile and Regina shook her head.

 

"Please don't."

 

"No? Reginald has a nice ring to it," Snow prodded.

 

Regina rolled her eyes. "Don't make me rescue the child for his own good."

 

Snow's grin was tremulous, but there, less brittle than it had been before. "I guess we'll come up with something else then. I wouldn't want to do that to you." Snow squeezed Regina's arm where she held the baby and Regina nodded to show that she had heard Snow's less than subtle meaning. Things were settled between them now as much as they ever were.

 

"Name him well, dear," Regina said, depositing him back in Snow's arms. "It should mean something more than putting the end of an old feud on his shoulders. We've done that well enough already." She left without a backwards glance. In time she and Snow would be easy again. It seemed they always were.

 

* * *

The mansion was dark. Henry slept in his own bed at the far end of the hall. Soft snores drifted out from his room and brought a tired smile to Regina's lips as she came up the last step to the second floor. Despite the length of the day, Regina had taken a moment to clean up the first floor of the mansion. Henry's shoes were tucked into the hall closet just inside the front door, Emma's jacket was hung up and the few dishes left from breakfast were done up. The phone was hung back up in its cradle from where she had dropped it when Regina had popped into the dining room to talk to her. Everything was as right as Regina could make it before she had ascended the stairs to her own room.

 

It hadn't taken much prodding to send to Henry to bed when they had finally gotten home. Regina had allowed him to negotiate her up to one cup of hot chocolate before bed. It had nothing to do with the way Emma had lingered downstairs, lurking from room to room, but gradually circling closer until Emma claimed the cup Regina had set on the corner of the island for her without a word. She had drunk it with small, eager sips that seemed to ease the tension from her shoulders with each one. Regina was sorry to see that Emma had still looked tense and guarded when she had gone the long way around the island to avoid brushing against Regina and carefully washed and dried her mug, setting it up in the cabinet without ever meeting Regina's eyes. Emma had slipped away with a mumble of thanks before Henry had finished his and Regina couldn't go after her yet. Henry swore he was fine and that Hook hadn't done anything to hurt him, but he still looked pale to Regina. Exhaustion chased as Regina climbed the stairs. The hall was dark except for the nightlight she had always kept at the far end for Henry. Soft snores drifted out of his room and Regina smiled. She hesitated at the top of the stairs and then turned toward his room. Despite hearing his snores, she needed to see him for herself, sleeping peacefully in his own bed.

 

The door was open a crack and Regina wondered if Emma had already been in. There was no sign of her when Regina went inside, just Henry sprawled face-down across his bed, one foot dangling over the side. The covers lay down around his mid-back. Regina couldn't resist the urge to pull them up around his shoulders to keep him from getting cold in the middle of the night. She wanted to touch him, brush his hair back from his face and reassure herself that he was real. Surely of all the things Regina might have hallucinated that resulted in returning Henry to her, she wouldn't have dreamed up this. Regina made herself take a step back and then another until she was out in the hallway. It went against every instinct she possessed, but she had learned not to hold on to Henry so hard. He wouldn't thank her for it and it was time to start remembering that. He was really back now and he wasn't going anywhere. They had time. She and Emma had seen to that.

 

Closing the door behind her, Regina caught a glimpse of light spilling out from the guest room down the hall where she had put Emma days ago when she had arrived back in Storybrooke. She didn't intend to do anything more than glance in the room as she went past, but she caught sight of Emma throwing jeans and tank tops into a bag as she passed. Regina froze and stepped back to stand in the doorway, folding her arms over chest. "Going somewhere?" Regina asked, not even trying to keep the irritation out of her voice.

 

“Yeah,” Emma muttered without looking up. “I didn’t think you’d appreciate the intrusion and Snow wants me to come back to the apartment.”

 

Something inside Regina began to unclench. “You’re wrong. You’re welcome to stay here as long as you like.” Regina tried to smile. “I think Henry liked having both of us here.”

 

“Thanks,” Emma said. She slapped the tank into her duffel and then stood up, hands on her hips. She was breathing harder than was necessary for what she had been doing when she looked up at Regina. “I’m in a pretty shit place right now.” Emma winced and shook her head. “Not here, here, but you know.” Her gaze was pleading and defiant, seeking understanding for how she had misspoken, but frustrated too. “I have terrible taste in men and I just remembered I gave my kid up for adoption and, and-” Her voice quavered, but it wasn’t with tears or weakness. Regina recognized that tremble. It was barely suppressed rage. “I had this beautiful thing, but it was all crap.”

 

“You did your best for Henry,” Regina said softly. “You always have.” It hurt to say. It hurt to even think it, but she could admit now that Emma had always had Henry’s best interests at heart. Even if her actions had been wildly inappropriate.

 

“I don’t fucking care, Regina,” Emma snapped, taking a step forward. “You gave us this amazing life. We were happy in New York, and then-” She sucked in a ragged, gasping breath. “Then it was gone, like a crumpled up tissue.”

 

There were many things Regina could say to that. She could point out that it wasn’t all lies, that the love that Emma and Henry had shared was real. That the time they had spent together in the city hadn’t been lies, could never be taken away from the two of them. But she didn’t. Regina knew that feeling, grasping for the most wonderful thing in her life, the only thing that had mattered, and finding it gone. She wouldn’t apologize either, for Emma’s loss, not when it had brought Henry back to her. She could regret it for Emma, but not regret that it had happened, not for an instant. She wouldn’t feed Emma motivational horseshit either. _Hope_. That was Snow’s department. “I know.” Regina picked up Emma’s hand and held it loosely between hers, turning it back and forth. She brushed her thumb over Emma’s knuckles. “Can you feel it?” Regina asked. “The rage burning through your veins?” Emma hesitated then gave a jerky nod. Regina’s lips pressed into a tight grin. “It’s like an animal. You can try to cage it, but more you keep it in, it eats its way out from the inside until there’s nothing left.”

 

“If I let it go,” Emma breathed, her hand trembling in Regina’s grasp.  

 

“-you might not get it back.” Regina finished the thought for her. “You might do terrible things.”

 

“I would,” Emma ground out. “I saw that kid today in Snow’s arms and I-” her teeth clenched shut over whatever she might have been about to say.

 

“You looked at him and you wanted to reach into his chest, rip out his heart and crush it in your hand while Snow watched?” Regina suggested, moving closer to Emma. “Or something else? Something bloodier, more satisfying? What did you want to do to him, Emma?”

 

“I can’t,” Emma said in a strangled whisper. “I can’t say it.”

 

“You can always tell me,” Regina said. “You can’t imagine what I’ve thought, what I felt. What I dreamed of doing to Snow. She was a child too, when I married Leopold. And I wanted to strangle her, take her necklace in my hands and pull it tight around her throat until she was gasping and choking right there in front of me. I wanted that more than I wanted my next breath. Do you understand, Emma?”

 

“I wanted to hurt him,” Emma breathed, her head dropping to Regina’s shoulder. “I wanted him to be gone.” Regina touched her hip, steadying her. “I’m a horrible person.”

 

“No,” Regina said firmly. “It makes you hurt - in pain - and worse because Snow’s oblivious, but nothing’s wrong with you. It’s how you feel, not who you are.”

 

Emma laughed, but it wasn’t a happy sound. “How I feel,” she murmured, echoing Regina’s words back to her. “I feel lots of confusing shit.”

 

“Mmm,” Regina made a noncommittal noise.

 

“You had this chance,” Emma said, raising her head to stare at Regina again. “You could have had Henry to yourself again. Round two, but you would have been better prepared this time. Know where all my weak spots are.” She looked up at Regina with bleary, confused eyes. “But you didn’t do it. You were nice to me.” She wrinkled her nose. “It was weird, but really cool.”

 

“Well, yes,” Regina said and cleared her throat. It was hard to admit even now. Niceness wasn’t what she was known for. “For Henry.” She looked down. “And I didn’t want to fight with you again. Neither of us win when we fight over Henry. It wasn’t a mistake I wanted to repeat.” She couldn’t imagine if it had been worse than the poisoned pastry. True Love’s Kiss might work once - or maybe even twice - but it couldn’t be counted upon to fix everything.

 

“That’s all?” Emma asked, looking up at Regina from beneath a few strands of blonde curls that had fallen across her face.

 

“No,” Regina admitted in a whisper. It was too fragile of a thing to be mentioned out loud, could barely be thought of or it would break, shatter into a thousand ruined pieces never to be put back together again.

 

“Okay,” Emma said as if she got it, and maybe she did. If anyone would, Regina thought, it would be Emma. The back of her fingers, her skin dry, chapped and a little rough, brushed Regina’s chin, then fell away again. “Can I kiss you?” Emma asked, her voice low and husky. Her eyes seemed drawn to Regina’s lips, but flicked up to capture Regina’s gaze, searching for her answer.

 

It wasn’t the first time Emma had asked this, but then knowledge had held Regina back. She had known more about who Emma was in that moment, than Emma had. It hadn’t seemed fair to kiss Emma when she couldn’t remember their history, taking something that hadn’t been granted to her. But she hadn’t been able to bring herself to turn Emma down either. She had let Emma kiss her and here Emma was now with all her memories, asking to kiss Regina again. Regina didn’t answer her.

 

She leaned forward, brushed the strands of Emma’s hair back away from Emma’s face, slipped her hand behind Emma’s head and pressed her lips against Emma’s. There was none of the hesitance of before. This wasn’t their first kiss. It was urgent, not sweet or easy. Regina sank her teeth into Emma’s bottom lip and sucked. Emma groaned and pressed herself against Regina until their bodies were flush. She nipped back and heat flashed up Regina’s neck and across her cheeks. She wanted more. Regina could see Emma beneath her, naked and spread out on top of her sheets, panting and begging at Regina’s touch. She could feel Emma taut as a bowstring, reacting to every stroke of Regina’s hand across her skin, shivering at Regina’s breath across her ear, the scrape of Regina’s teeth against her pulse point. The promise of it was all there in their kiss. All it would take was a little push.

 

Emma jerked away. “Stop.” She was bent over, hands on her knees as she stared up at Regina. “I can’t do this now.”

 

Regina’s head was spinning, dizzy from the taste of Emma’s lips, from everything she had seen between them. It would be so easy… but Emma had said. Of course, they couldn’t. She was the Evil Queen and Emma was the Savior, Snow White’s daughter. Regina straightened, drawing armor back around her in one breath, and ignored the way she was shaking.

 

“But,” Emma said, watching Regina with wary eyes. “We could do this again sometime.”

 

Was Emma holding her breath, waiting on tenterhooks for Regina’s answers? Regina thought she might be, but it could be her imagination that Emma wasn’t breathing. She wanted it to be, Regina realized. She wanted Emma to care, but first she had to know. She had already turned down one Charming this evening. If this was more of the same… “Is this about Snow, to forget?” Regina asked, turning away. She could handle the answer, whatever it might be, but if it was that she needed to know now. Needed to brace herself. Regina had worn her heart on her sleeve once. It hadn’t gone well.

 

“No,” Emma blurted, shooting up so quickly Regina almost laughed. Smooth Emma Swan was not. “No,” Emma repeated, holding Regina’s eyes. “I meant it earlier. My head’s all fucked up right now.” Her brows furrowed. “I thought I’d found this great guy. I said yes. I told him I would marry him and he turned out to be a flying monkey sent to keep an eye on me by the Wicked Witch of the West. Hook betrayed me and my kid, stalked me and expected me to be grateful.” Emma shrugged. “I don’t know what would have happened if I had remembered everything with Walsh, but I thought it was real. I wanted it to be real.” Her eyes were pleading with Regina to understand again. “I don’t know how to just turn that off, but every time I think about them I want to…” Her hands curled into fists at her sides. “It hurts. I want to make them hurt. I just want it to stop and it won’t.”

 

“It will,” Regina said. “Eventually. It takes time.”

 

“How long?” Emma demanded roughly.

 

Regina lifted one shoulder in a half-shrug. “It took me three decades.”

 

Emma stared and then laughed and sank down on the bed next to her duffel. The bed only sank a little beneath her weight. “Your pep talks are better than Snow’s.”

 

“Of course,” Regina said as if it had never been in doubt. She took a step back but a smile was curling across her lips. “You’ll stay here tonight.” It was part question, part statement.

 

“I’ll be here in the morning,” Emma said with a nod.

 

“Good night, Emma,” Regina said, still backing away. She caught a glimpse of the smile that flashed across Emma’s face as she started down the hall to her own room and knew Emma had caught it, the use of her given name. It was a beginning.

 

* * *

When Henry padded downstairs the next morning, his mom was sitting on the couch. Steam rose from the mug of coffee in her hand as she stared out at nothing. She didn’t look sad though, just contemplative. Henry grinned. It was pretty awesome that they were all back here together. There had been a time - the whole trip from the city back to Storybrooke - when he hadn’t known if he would ever see his mom or the rest of his family ever again. Remembering them and not having them be there would have been even more horrible than discovering his mom was the Evil Queen, his town was full of storybook characters and his mom didn’t love him. Or at least that’s what he had thought at the time. Now he knew better, but Henry hadn’t been able to keep himself from imagining it the entire time it had taken to get back home.

 

Without another word, Henry sank down beside Regina on the couch and pressed up against her side. She looked down at him and smiled, reaching out with one hand to comb her fingers through his hair and then letting her arm fall across his shoulders. Henry sank into her embrace without a word, content to sit with her in silence. Her hand ran idly up and down his arm and Henry let his eyes fall closed. He wouldn’t be able to sit still long. He was hungry and there was a bunch of stuff he wanted to do today, but he wanted to savor this moment, sink it into his brain so he would never forget it. It would be there when he needed it.

 

The stairs creaked again and Henry glanced up to see Emma descending slowly. He grinned at her and squeezed Mom’s knee. “Hey, Mom,” he called. He hadn’t missed the trepidation in the way she had slowed even more when she had seen him watching her.

 

His smile started to feel strained when Emma didn’t respond, her gaze flicking over to Regina, but then she focused on him again. “Hey, kid.” She ruffled his hair too. What was it with his moms and his hair? “Is there room on this couch for one more?”

 

“Oh, yeah,” Henry said, scooting a little closer to Mom. Regina didn’t protest; her hold on him tightened.

 

Emma dropped onto the couch beside him and folded herself into the small space left, bringing her knees up to her chest. Her toes were like blocks of ice where she tucked them under his leg.

 

“You should start wearing socks to bed, Mom,” Henry said looking over at her solemnly. On his other side, Regina snorted. Her arm left his shoulders for a moment and she passed something behind him. He caught a whiff of the rich, bitter scent of coffee just the way Regina liked it.

 

“Take this before you freeze our son to death,” Regina said, but Henry could tell by the way that she said - and the “our son” - that she wasn’t really mad.

 

“Thanks,” Emma murmured. It was barely audible but Henry was grinning as Emma reached out slowly to take the mug from Regina. Their fingers brushed as they exchanged the mug and Emma started grinning too. He wasn’t sure what that was about, but Emma definitely looked happier as she accepted the mug from Regina and took a sip. Maybe it was the caffeine hit. Emma was always grumpy before her first cup of coffee. But she looked way happier than that as she held the cup of coffee out from her on the back of the couch and propped her chin on her knees to grin over at both of them. “So what are we doing today?”

 

There were no villains in town today. Everyone had their memories back and there were no curses to vanquish. He had a new baby uncle. They could do anything. Henry knew exactly what they could do. He twisted around to look over at Regina. "We should put the pictures back up today. We took them down so you wouldn't suspect anything when you were staying here," Henry said, turning back to explain to Emma. "But now that you remember, they can go back up." Emma smiled but it didn't reach her eyes. Henry frowned. He hadn't meant to make her sad. "Do you think we could make copies of some of the pictures we had in the apartment and put them up here with mine and Mom's?"

 

Emma's smile was more genuine this time and Henry relaxed. "Sounds great, Kid." She glanced past him again. "And maybe your mom could come with us when we go get our stuff. If the curse will let her. I think she might like to see where you lived. What your school was like, that kind of thing."

 

"I would love that," Regina said, smiling at Emma. "I saw Boston once when I..." She trailed off and Henry realized it must have been when she had adopted him. He suddenly wondered if she had known she would be okay if she had crossed the town line or if she had wondered if the consequences of the curse applied to her too. How much had she risked for him. "But I haven't seen much of the rest of this world except in pictures. I think it would be interesting."

 

"We'll hit all the tourist traps just for you, Regina," Emma teased, but Regina didn't seem to mind at all.

 

"I know what we need to do first," Henry declared.

 

"Breakfast?" Emma suggested.

 

"Always thinking with your stomach, Miss Swan?" Regina asked with a raised eyebrow.

 

"Better than with my-" Emma started to retort and then cut herself off to stare down at her knees.

 

Henry wasn't sure he wanted to know what that was about. Turning to Regina, he asked, "Can I borrow your phone, Mom?"

 

"Of course, dear," she said and handed it to him without question. Henry grinned triumphantly.

  
"C'mon," Henry said as he opened the camera app and held it out in front of the three of them. "We need a new picture for the wall."  


End file.
